I was halfway around the castle, digging a trench with a tiny plastic shovel, by the time Jess came back outside.
“Yum!” Gina said, bouncing up to her.
“I made turkey and cheese for everyone.” Jess gave me a paper plate with the sandwich on top. “And I cut yours into triangles with no crust,” she said to Gina.
Gina hugged Jess’s leg, and they sat together on Jess’s lounge chair, Gina on Jess’s lap.
Gina looked up at Jess. “Can we play Frisbee?”
“Sure,” Jess said. “After we finish eating, I’m all yours.”
Gina leaned back against Jess, the both of them comfortable together. Gina’s hair had grown so much in the last few months, every day she started to look more like Wendy. But to those who had no idea about Gina’s mom, they thought Jess and Gina were mother and daughter. Something I never corrected. Jess was the closest person to a mother that Gina would ever have. There was no reason for anyone to think otherwise.
While the girls played Frisbee, I sat back in my chair and lifted my chin to the sky, soaking in as much sun as I could before the weather was too cold to do this.
My phone rang, and I jumped up, startled by the sound.
I searched around for it and realized it was in the pocket of my pants.
I rarely brought my cell to the beach, but today I happened to have it when we came out to the sand. I lifted the phone and checked the Caller ID.
Jess looked over at me, and I mouthed the name, “Brandon”. She nodded and continued playing Frisbee with Gina.
“Hey, man,” I said into the phone.
“Where’s the g’day?” Brandon asked.
I rolled my eyes. “You know I’m still from the States, right?”
“Not anymore!” Jess called.
I smiled and waved her away. “Did you hear that?”
“I did,” Brandon said, laughing.
“How have you been?” I asked him.
“We just got back from another trip. This time to Greece.”
“Sounds beautiful.”
“It was,” he said. “Amelia sends her love and wants to know if you’re in for a trip with us next year?”
“How about you come down here?” I said. “There’s plenty of space at our house, and I know an excellent tour guide.”
There was a pause. “Yeah, I think that would work.”
“Great.”
“So, how’s retired life?” he asked. “I’m jealous that after going away I have to go to work and make up for all the crap I missed.”
I definitely didn’t miss that. But I didn’t say anything to make Brandon feel bad about him working. I was the strange one in the friendship. Who retired in their thirties? Someone who worked like a dog and nearly missed out on his life because of it, that’s who.
“It’s great,” I said. “You were right, man. I needed to do this.”
“I know,” he said. “But it wasn’t all me. You have a great girl with a good head on her shoulders. I only nudged you toward where you were supposed to go.”
“Yeah,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. My gaze fell to Gina and Jess, laughing and throwing the Frisbee back and forth. Over the summer, they practiced playing a lot and rarely dropped it. “I would have missed out on so much.” I wasn’t just talking about Gina. I almost missed out on the second love of my life. It was something rare and to be treasured, and I intended on holding Jess close to me for as long as I could.