For some reason, the remark bothered me. But I brushed it away. I had to stop being so protective over Noah’s money. He earned it and should use it as he saw fit. I hoped Gina would grow up knowing that money didn’t grow on trees.
“Mom, are you coming with us?” I asked.
“If you would like me to,” she said.
“We do!” Gina said, jumping up in her seat.
“Sit down,” the three of us said to her.
Then we looked at each other and laughed while Gina slowly sunk in her seat with a confused expression on her face.
We weren’t the first to arrive at the beach later that morning. But there was plenty of room to spread our things out.
“Jess! Let’s make sandcastles!” Gina said, unpacking the bag of plastic toys that Mom found in the garage along with the boogie board. There were intricately designed molds to use, and I looked forward to making a masterpiece.
“Sure, but let me show you how it is done,” I said, grabbing the large bucket and heading toward the water.
Mom and I used to make sand castles together. It was one of my earlier memories of her. She drank then too, but at that point, it wasn’t noticeable to me since I was so young.
We were far enough back from the surf that there was no danger of the water rolling over our hard work.
Around noon, we huddled under the shade of the huge umbrella that Mom parked herself under for the entire time. Mom handed out sangers and chips. We ate them quickly so we could get back to work on our castle.
Noah swapped between helping us and sun tanning. I didn’t push him to help since I knew he probably hadn’t had time to just lay out in a long while. And I doubt he would for some time after the vacation. I never saw him so relaxed in my life. I got a glimpse of how he’d look when he retired, and the picture was something to smile about.
I had some idea of how much Noah was worth, and I hoped he took advantage of his financial situation to be able to retire early and be there for Gina in her younger years. Because when her body started to change, she’d want nothing to do with him for some time. It was the way girls worked. Though, I wondered if Gina would be different if Noah retired earlier than expected. They were a close-knit family, but Noah would have to make more time for her if that was going to be the case. Maybe being together this vacation would help him see how much she needed him in her life.
Later that afternoon, we completed the castle. It stretched out in front of us and was a sight to see.
Mom snapped a picture of Gina, Noah, and me in front of the castle.
“Want to pretend we’re monsters?” I asked Gina.
A playful smile danced on her lips. “Yeah!”
Then the four of us stomped all over the castle, crushing our hard work, and having a blast in the process.
Before dinner, the four of us sat on the patio with coffee. The cooler temperatures made my sunburn a little more bearable. Even though I’d lathered up on the sunscreen, my skin was far too pale for being outside for a full day. I knew within a few days it would turn into a beautiful shade of bronze, I just had to get through the pain first.
Gina and I were on the porch swing, and Noah and Mom sat at the small table.
Instead of coffee, Gina had a mug of hot chocolate. It wasn’t the choice I would have given her, but Mom insisted that Gina try her homemade recipe. I’d never tasted it before tonight, and when I had a sip of Gina’s, I had to admit it was good.
Mom changed so much since I saw her last. And the walls that I put up to block our relationship started to crumble. In her way, she was trying to make up for lost time. I was the one being selfish now and the only one who was still upset about past events.
I knew it would take some time, but I sensed our relationship would change after this trip. And I wanted to come out here more often. Granted, it wouldn’t be first-class, which was incredible, but I couldn’t expect Noah to pay for my flight every time, especially if he and Gina wouldn’t be able to come along each visit.
Noah and Mom were chatting about something when Gina leaned over me and placed her mug on the side table. “Jess, can you braid my hair again?”
“Sure,” I said.
Gina adjusted herself until she sat between my legs. I combed my fingers through her hair and started to separate three large chunks for the braid.
“Thanks for asking us to come here,” she said.
“You’re welcome. I’m so happy you came to visit.”
“I had a lot of fun today. And I like your house.”