Home for the Summer (BOYXBOY)

The Ocean Before Us: Finale

I was dizzy with love, and I hadn't grown tired of it.

We gathered a routine. Nico and I took Camden to the shore in the evenings, where he learned to build castles and chase sandpipers. Nico must've taken a thousand photos of him on that beach. We went through film in a matter of days. Every minute was spent with my husband and kid. Except the mornings.

I'd wake up early- before the sun- and make my way down the acres of land between our backyard and our peach orchard. I'd run my hands against the bark of the trunks, and down the leaves, and over the fuzz of peaches. The sun peaked sleepily above the horizon, and I could feel my whole entire existence sitting in its hand.

I was 27.

I was happy.

I was deeply in love with life.

This messy, uneven life that we'd made with each other. I didn't end up where I thought I would when I was in high school, but in high school, I knew so little of the world. I didn't know happiness- not really. I knew elation, that feeling in your chest where you wanted to soar. And contentment. Feeling okay with where you were. But, happiness? No, I hadn't known that.

It was Nico who taught me.

I found happiness in tracing the freckles on his shoulders, on watching him read to Camden before bed. He grew more beautiful every second, like the sun's rising painted him in more striking colors each time. I wanted to bottle him up and breathe him in. Nico knew how to live beside me. We were each other's sense of safety, support. We knew where we were bruised by life. We handled our wounds with gentleness.

I picked three peaches from the orchard and pulled my shirt up halfway to carry them in its dip. The grass from our orchard to our house was beginning to crease where I walked to and fro. It made me happy to see it darken each day.

"Good morning," Nico smiled when I walked inside. Camden was one his lap, puppy-dog pajamas on and rubbing at his eyes. "Camy's sleepy this morning."

I moved to brush his hair back. I knew it wasn't possible, but it looked exactly like Nico's, like of piece of him really did transfer.

"That's no good. Will breakfast help?"

Camden looked up at me, all hazel eyes and rosy cheeks. "Mummins?"

"Mhm. Three muffins coming up."

I slipped into the kitchen and put a few muffins into the toaster oven. Nico had set the coffee on brew, so I waited to pour our mugs until after I'd sliced the peaches. He took his with brown sugar and cinnamon. I'd perfected it by now.

"Thank you, darling," Nico said, leaning to kiss my cheek as I handed him his plate.

We ate a short meal. I leaned over the Post Crossword through the beginning, and Nico helped to make sure Camden was eating properly. We didn't mind the quiet. We grew to love that, too.

It was a Sunday, and neither of us had to work. Nico knew that I'd try to anyway, so he drove us to the beach.

"Cam's been getting good during swimming lessons," I smiled from the passenger side. "Isn't  that right, Camden?"

"Fishies," he beamed back.

"Mhm, the beach has lots of fishies. Tell papa about your swimming classes."

He was twisting in his car seat to try and meet Nico's eyes. "Papa, I floated."

"You floated?" Nico gasped. "How'd you do that?"

"I laid down on the pool."

"Did dada teach you?"

"Coach Bendy did."