Chasing waves

Getting back on board

uncle Jason pov

Walking downstairs I can barely see with how tired I am, its has been a long night of worrying if Charlotte is ok but when I pass the last step I hear Steven right behind me wanting his morning coffee which is no surprise right there as that man cant cope without his coffee. Standing by the sink I look out the window wondering how the waves are this morning but when I look out the window I didn't expect to see someone in the ocean already, I think its Charlotte but I poke Steven to have a look hoping what I see is actually what I see. I have a full blown smile on my face hoping this is Charlotte on the water as I have been waiting for this day to come. 

"Hey man, come and see this" i says to Steven hoping I am correct, he walks over with an annoyed look that I am talking to him before his coffee. As he looks out the window I can see the smile he has on his face, I was right its Charlotte on the ocean maybe not having the best time but she's out there. Neither of us can be any happier for Charlotte as we have waited a lift time for Charlotte to get back in the ocean. 

I don't know how long we stood at the window watching Charlotte in the ocean crash and burn over and over again but both of us cant take our eyes off her as theres a sense pf pride right here watching her trying. Charlotte parents would be proud right now and definitely smiling down at this moment, since there death I didn't think she get back out there but as I stand here I am one proud uncle however I didn't think a stranger would bring Charlotte out of her zone to get back in the ocean, fair play to him. 

"Let me wake everyone up. They would be happy to see this" uncle Steven says running upstairs shouting trying his best to wake everyone up before Charlotte gives up and comes back in and I couldn't agree more as the grandparents have been dying to see this movement. 

"Everyone Charlotte out in the ocean trying to surf again" he shouts like a man on a mission and I cant help but laugh at him, everyone jumps out of bed like the house is on fire and comes running downstairs as they know it must of took a lot out of her to get back into the water after all it has been two years. The kitchen comes rammed packed as everyone tries to look out the window. 

"You think she's handle it" aunt Sarah says looking out the window, watching Charlotte fall of the board once again, everyone takes there turn to look and returning with a smile, I see where Sarah is coming and no one knows how much Charlotte can take but everyone knows we are there for her when she comes back in. Some of us may want to push her back in the ocean to make sure she doesn't give up but when she's come back in we are there. 

"It's been two years, I can't explain how happy this makes me" grandad says with happy tears running down his face, grandma hugs him, giving him a tissue to wipe his eyes, he has tried everything to get her back on a board and this one stranger has come out of no where to get her out in the ocean but I stop when the thought comes back around. 

"Who's the lad?" I ask finally asking myself and everyone the question as it has never appealed to me that Charlotte is in the ocean with someone I don't know, I am way to over protection with Charlotte and when I ask the questions, I am pushed out the way by everyone. She is definitely too young to be dating, not till she's at least thirty or sixty. 

"He's my friend from home Darren" Hayden says taking his turn to look out the window, as he just watched Charlotte turn a hit by a wave, he's cringes when he sees Charlotte go under and I don't know how sure I am for Charlotte to be out in the ocean with someone I don't know. 

"Should we go out and be there for her. Show her we all proud" aunt Sarah says, making a cup of tea as Charlotte won't know how proud they all are if they stay inside watching. I don't know how long we have been watching but I couldn't be any prouder of her and how she's back in the ocean where she's belongs, I just hope she doesn't give up right now. 

"Let's all go out together, show support, letting her know she's never alone, I'll call Katie" grandma says everyone grabs a cup of tea Sarah made and heads towards the backyard, uncle Steven grabs a towel for Charlotte, as they make there way outside, Charlotte takes a nasty hit by a wave and gets dragged under for a second everyone isn't sure she Charlotte is going to return to the top and has everyone on there toes but couple of seconds later her head appears and everyone calms down a little.

Charlotte pov

I been out here for over a hour, it took me 40 minutes to build up the courage to take a wave, it was probably the smallest one you would ever see but I'm not ready for a big wave, I had Darren next to me helping me out and talking to me every minute, telling me it's ok and too take my time, he explained to me how long it took him to get back into the ocean. As I wait for a wave I get scared and back out but having Darren in my ear telling me it's ok, I get ready for the next wave when I'm about to drop into a wave I misjudge it and take a hit by a wave, I have been beat up by waves for the last 10 minutes but that one was the worse so far, I'm about to give up when I hear something from the beach making me look that way, 

"It's ok Charlotte, we are here" I climb back on the board and see all my family stood on the beach, with massive smiles on the face I paddle back to Darren and wait for a wave to come, I don't know how long that will be but I need to land the next wave never mind how big for them. 

"You ready, it's ok to have a break little sapphire" I hear him say when I see a wave coming, it's another little one but I'm determined to drop on to it, even though I haven't managed to  complete one yet, I'm hoping this one is the one. I start paddling and eventually I take the drop, taking my time I slowly get to my feet, trying my hardest not to fall, as I come to the end I have a massive smile on my face and I cant believe what just happened, did I? 

"You did it" I hear been cheers by everyone, I just realised I never fell, I jump off the board, everyone comes running into the ocean to give me a hug, now everyone is soaking wet but I'm first to grab a shower as I been beat up enough times and In need of a long hot shower 

"I can't believe I did it" I say hugging my grandad first, everyone joins in the hug and it ends up to be a big family hug where everyone just hugs each other, I have my arms around my grandad as he's been my biggest support since my parents died and I don't know where I would have been without him. 

"We are all proud of you Lottie" uncle Jason says, I can't believe I managed to complete a wave, even if it was just a small one. It's a massive step into the right direction, I look and see Katie still on the beach, she has a massive smile on her faces she stood with her parents. They was close with my parents. I start to walk to Katie who has a smile on her face, I know she's proud of me as she has also tried to get me on a surf board but nothing worked till now.

"I wouldn't miss this" Katie says wrapping her arms round me, I have tears roll down my face as I know someone called her to tell her I was back in the ocean,  if I knew anyone would be here it would be her. The whole town would be here if grandad called everyone as everyone has been waiting for me to get back on a board. 

"Charlotte we are proud of you, you know you have always been like a daughter to us, your parents would be really proud right now" Katie dad says to me, joining in the hug, at this point everyone is out the water and joining on another hug.

what would I do without everyone right now?