the blanks.”
“Well, sure. I’ll do my
best to remember,” Grace said. “What I can’t write down, I guess we
can look up online. There’s probably a YouTube tutorial for
that.”
Lon flopped down on the
sand next to Annie. “Hit me with another piece of pecan pie,” he
said. “It’s a holiday; I can indulge.”
“That’s the idea,” Annie
said, reaching into the cooler.
“Oh, can I have some
cheese?” Ryder asked.
“I want some too,” Carter
said.
“I could go for another
sandwich,” Carlos said.
“As long as we’re digging
through the cooler,” Grace said, “I’d love another
drink.”
“Me too,” Annie and Lisa
said at the same time.
After getting out more food
and drinks, Annie said, “This was a great idea you had to come to
the beach today, Lon. This is such a perfect Christmas: a wonderful
church service last night, watching the kids get excited over
presents this morning, and relaxing on the beach the rest of the
day.”
“With my long-lost cousin!”
Lon interjected. “Thank you, Lisa and Carlos, for joining
us.”
“Thanks for inviting us,”
Carlos said.
“And Mom,” Annie continued,
“none of this would have happened if you hadn’t made friends with
Benji.”
Grace looked down, then out
to the gulf. “And that wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t had a
stroke,” she said. “So I suppose something good has come out of
something bad.” Everyone was quiet for a moment.
Then Annie said, “I don’t
know why we don’t come to the beach once a week.” She looked at
Lon. “We wouldn’t even have to load up the cooler with a lot of
food.”
“But we could!” Grace
said.
“Yeah!” said
Ryder.
Benji bounded into the
group and trotted up to Grace. Hannah and Maia weren’t far
behind.
“And here’s my little
hero,” Grace said. “Did you smell food?” She rubbed Benji behind
his ears. “I don’t know if we will get to keep you or if someone
will claim you, but you’re with us for now.”
“He has to be ours by now,”
Carter said.
Not to be left out, Lola
sat up. She had been sleeping next to Lisa. Maia scratched Lola’s
chin, and Lisa gave her a treat.
“Do you think the dogs know
how to play fetch?” Hannah asked.
All the kids ran off to try
to find out.
Lon put his arm around
Annie. “This is the best Christmas our family has had,” he said in
her ear. “We needed this, to slow down and relax. You’re right, we
should come back to the beach more often. After all, it’s where our
family started, when I asked you to marry me on the beach. Good
things happen on the beach. You and me, our family Christmas, and
this.”
Lon pulled Annie’s missing
engagement and wedding rings out of his pocket and put them on
Annie’s finger next to her grandmother’s sapphire.
Annie gasped. She shook a
little. Then her eyes started to tear up. She opened her mouth but
couldn’t speak. She looked from Lon to the rings and back
again.
“Ryder found them in the
attic hidden inside an old toy, when we were putting up the
lights,” Lon said. “We wanted to keep it a surprise for
you.”
All Annie could do was nod
and wipe away tears.
“Who knows what other good
things will come when we make time to spend together?” Lon
said.
Annie kissed Lon and
nuzzled into his neck. “Let’s find out.”
“Well, sure. I’ll do my
best to remember,” Grace said. “What I can’t write down, I guess we
can look up online. There’s probably a YouTube tutorial for
that.”
Lon flopped down on the
sand next to Annie. “Hit me with another piece of pecan pie,” he
said. “It’s a holiday; I can indulge.”
“That’s the idea,” Annie
said, reaching into the cooler.
“Oh, can I have some
cheese?” Ryder asked.
“I want some too,” Carter
said.
“I could go for another
sandwich,” Carlos said.
“As long as we’re digging
through the cooler,” Grace said, “I’d love another
drink.”
“Me too,” Annie and Lisa
said at the same time.
After getting out more food
and drinks, Annie said, “This was a great idea you had to come to
the beach today, Lon. This is such a perfect Christmas: a wonderful
church service last night, watching the kids get excited over
presents this morning, and relaxing on the beach the rest of the
day.”
“With my long-lost cousin!”
Lon interjected. “Thank you, Lisa and Carlos, for joining
us.”
“Thanks for inviting us,”
Carlos said.
“And Mom,” Annie continued,
“none of this would have happened if you hadn’t made friends with
Benji.”
Grace looked down, then out
to the gulf. “And that wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t had a
stroke,” she said. “So I suppose something good has come out of
something bad.” Everyone was quiet for a moment.
Then Annie said, “I don’t
know why we don’t come to the beach once a week.” She looked at
Lon. “We wouldn’t even have to load up the cooler with a lot of
food.”
“But we could!” Grace
said.
“Yeah!” said
Ryder.
Benji bounded into the
group and trotted up to Grace. Hannah and Maia weren’t far
behind.
“And here’s my little
hero,” Grace said. “Did you smell food?” She rubbed Benji behind
his ears. “I don’t know if we will get to keep you or if someone
will claim you, but you’re with us for now.”
“He has to be ours by now,”
Carter said.
Not to be left out, Lola
sat up. She had been sleeping next to Lisa. Maia scratched Lola’s
chin, and Lisa gave her a treat.
“Do you think the dogs know
how to play fetch?” Hannah asked.
All the kids ran off to try
to find out.
Lon put his arm around
Annie. “This is the best Christmas our family has had,” he said in
her ear. “We needed this, to slow down and relax. You’re right, we
should come back to the beach more often. After all, it’s where our
family started, when I asked you to marry me on the beach. Good
things happen on the beach. You and me, our family Christmas, and
this.”
Lon pulled Annie’s missing
engagement and wedding rings out of his pocket and put them on
Annie’s finger next to her grandmother’s sapphire.
Annie gasped. She shook a
little. Then her eyes started to tear up. She opened her mouth but
couldn’t speak. She looked from Lon to the rings and back
again.
“Ryder found them in the
attic hidden inside an old toy, when we were putting up the
lights,” Lon said. “We wanted to keep it a surprise for
you.”
All Annie could do was nod
and wipe away tears.
“Who knows what other good
things will come when we make time to spend together?” Lon
said.
Annie kissed Lon and
nuzzled into his neck. “Let’s find out.”
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