Jess smiled. “When I was a little girl, I used to keep my windows open at night and let the sound of the waves help me get to sleep. So, when I moved to the States, I had to get one of those sound machines.”
“You never had issues sleeping at my house,” I said.
She bumped my arm. “Well, you exhausted me each night.”
I chuckled. “Well for those nights that my lovemaking isn’
t exhausting enough, you can open the windows. Or keep them open whenever you want. I like the sound too.”
She threaded her fingers with mine. “Are you happy?”
“Implicitly,” I said without hesitation. “I’m getting used to being retired. I actually don’t remember the last time I checked my phone. “Actually,” I turned to look inside, “where is my phone? I’m serious. I have no idea.”
“I bet that is freeing,” she said with a smile.
I sighed. It was. Being with Jess relaxed me to more than I’d ever been, but having work off my shoulders and seeing Gina’s smile each morning at breakfast was worth it.
“I’m happy for you,” she said. “And I’m thankful for what you’ve done for us. Gina will have amazing memories of you when she’s older. She might not realize it for a while, but someday.”
A wave of sadness moved through me. Jess grew up never knowing her father. It was the opposite situation from Gina. I never thought about how that might affect Jess. Maybe that’s why she was so persistent with me to spend time with Gina. For me, I knew Gina needed a mother type in her life. I never thought of it the other way around. She needed a father too, which was why it was so important for me to retire. I had the means. There was no reason I had to keep working as much as I did. If I’d continued on that track, Gina might have lost the opportunity for both a mother and a father.
Even though Jess was the exception, I knew deep down she missed a huge chunk of her life because of that. And even though I couldn’t buy her happiness, I could try to be the man that Gina and Jess needed for the rest of their lives.
I put my arm around Jess and pulled her close, trying to convey the love I had for her through one single gesture. Her head dropped to my shoulder, and she yawned.
“We should get to bed early tonight,” I said.
“Yeah, I’m exhausted. I think I’m going to be sore tomorrow.”
“Hopefully not too sore,” I said.
She looked up at me with a quizzical expression.
“Don’t tell me you forgot about Gina’s surfing lesson?” I asked innocently.
A slow smile spread across her lips. “That’s right. Sorry. My head has been full of moving stuff.”
“Well, it’s not like we have to travel far,” I said, indicating the water in front of us.
“At first, yes,” she said. “But once Gina gets better, then we can move to the bigger beaches.”
“Not anytime soon, though,” I said. My protective wall shot up for my daughter. She was only three, the only waves I wanted her one were those shorter than her.
“Who knows?” Jess said. “Maybe she will be a pro at a young age. She could get sponsorships and the like.”
“Then she can take care of us for a change,” I said.
We laughed, and Jess wrapped her arms around my waist, pulling me close to her.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Jess
The next morning, I woke to the bed jostling under me. My eyes sprung open, and I shielded them from the harsh sunlight coming in through the open windows. The curtains hadn’t arrived yet so each morning the sun was unyielding over the ocean.
But it wasn’t only the morning sun waking me up. Gina’s little feet bounced her body up and down on the bed. She managed to wedge herself between Noah and me.
I rolled over, and Noah stared up at his daughter with one eye open.