She waved at her father as she passed him and then prepared for the onslaught of the dog as Sammy jumped up at her. The woman raised her camera in the air, knowing the dog’s tendency to slobber all over it and scratched her quickly behind the ears.
“Hey mom!” Ben yelled, a spritely eight-year-old with dark hair and a tall build. A short attention span too. He looked to Gus, “Grandpa, throw me the ball.”
Gus threw it underhead and Ben caught it, just as Violet came screeching toward the woman’s legs.
“Mommy!” Violet cried out, wrapping her tiny arms around her cherry blossom tattoo. “You almost missed sunset.” She was four years old and into keeping track of routine. If the slightest thing was out of place, everyone would hear about it.
“But I didn’t,” the woman explained happily, crouching low. She smoothed the fine blonde hair off of Violet’s head and peered at her. “How are you, baby? Almost bedtime soon.”
“No!” Violet screeched.
The woman laughed, used to this. “Yes. Now go say hi to Grandpa. I’m going to go take a few pictures and then we’ll put you to bed and read you a story.”
“No,” the girl still said but she giggled and ran away to Gus, flopping onto the towel beside him.
The woman watched her go, then straightened up and looked to the ocean.
Camden was staring at her, a big smile on his face.
She grinned right back and trotted up to him.
“Hey sweetheart,” he said to her, opening his arm for her. She snuggled right into it, not even feeling the sharp cold of the Pacific Ocean as it crashed around their feet, then raised her head for a kiss. Camden kissed her deep and long before pulling away.
He was all dimples and blue eyes. He still took her breath away.
“How was work?” he asked, putting his arm around her waist and holding her close.
She rested her head on his shoulder. “Good. Couple in love. You know how that goes.”
“Uh huh,” he said. “Lots of blow jobs.”
She laughed and elbowed him. She looked over her shoulder at Ben throwing the ball for the dog, at Violet chatting Gus’s ear off. He was listening with utmost patience to whatever crazy story she was concocting next.
“How did dad’s date go with the woman from the bar?”
Camden grinned and looked at the sunset. “He won’t tell me. Which I think means it went well. I decided not to push it.”
“Good plan.”
“You going to take some photos?” he asked.
She gripped her camera, about to raise it up and capture the last sliver of sun before it disappeared, then hesitated and decided against it.
“Nah,” she said. “I’ll commit it to memory this time.”
They watched as the sun sank into the sea, as the waves crashed around them.
He squeezed her tight. She kissed his hand.
“You happy?” she asked him quietly.
“I am. Are you happy, Ellie?”
She nodded.
She was happy.