Post by neil balcombe on Oct 14, 2010 6:52:02 GMT -8
His feet made indentations in the soft, wet sand.The bottoms of his feet were coated with the gritty particles that made up the shore, his legs spattered loosely with crystal droplets of water left from his brief splash in the water. Beside him, tiny fingers holding tight to his index and middle fingers, Peyton toddled along. Her footprints were a scaled-down match to his own, her feet coated in sand just as his were. Neil smiled, watching the sunlight catch her feathery hair and blow it across her forehead. It was getting longer now, he noted. She was moving from the wobbling movements of early infancy to the unknown land of toddlerhood. It made him sad and happy at once. If someone had offered him the opportunity to keep her here forever, at this stage of life, he very well may have accepted. Her high-toned words and infantile giggles reminded him, no matter his frame of mind, how precious life was. She had the capacity to make him happy, and she did so every day.
Still, the future called to him, beckoning them both forward into the unknown. He wanted to know what it would be like on her first day of school, to watch her enter the classroom, looking back at him one last time before taking her seat. He wanted to experience her first crush and heartbreak alongside her, to chase away the nightmares, and to heal her scrapes with kisses. If given the chance, he would not freeze time, for, if left in this moment, he would forever wonder what could have been.
They had been planning this trip for at least a month. It was all Dee had talked about for a while, even going so far as to drag him—and Peyton, naturally—to town for some shopping. The result was his daughter’s current ensemble, a muted green one-piece topped by a puffed-sleeved, yellow polo dress. It was not something he would have been able to pick himself—as it was, his mother helped him shop for the majority of Peyton’s clothing—but the result was something that he approved. Her pale skin lathered with sun block, she was completely ready for a day at the beach. Neil smiled. It was the perfect day for swimming, as the world had begun to cool from the heat of summer but had not yet faded into the cold temperatures of late fall and early winter. It was the sort of day that necessitated neither jacket nor fan. It was simply perfect.
Beside him, Peyton’s grip on his hand loosened, then removed itself entirely as she stooped down to study a foreign object strewn haphazardly across the sand. Neil had only brought her to the beach a handful of times before this. As it was, she had never before encountered the slick, green substance she now seemed so fascinated with. He watched as she reached out a tentative hand to stroke the slimy surface, a muted giggle working from her lips at the feel of it. Neil sidestepped to straddle her, his hands finding her stomach to lift her ever so slightly off of the ground. He whispered, mouth mere centimetres from her tiny, pink ear, “Seaweed.”
Her curious eyes shifted to his face, little hand moving to brush the stubble on his cheek as he lifted her into his arms. “Seewee?” She repeated, head cocked to the side. Neil chuckled, nodding slowly. “Seaweed.” He kissed her cheek and moved to set her back down on the sand, but she clung to him, little hands entwining in the hair at the nape of his neck.”No? Okay.” He shifted her position in his arms, resting her weight on his left arm and setting her diaper bag on the ground beside him. Her head rested against his shoulder as she babbled in unclear baby-speak. Neil wondered when full sentences would begin pouring from her mouth, as opposed to the occasional distinguishable word in the midst of nonsensical babbling. Would it change things, he wondered, to have a clear line of communication with her? Naturally, they communicated just as well now, and nearly always had, but he had a feeling that it would be different. The thought of it made him ever so slightly sad, though he did look forward to this change for the most part. Stop growing so fast, he pleaded silently, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
Her head lifted then, and her little mouth formed into a grin. She pointed across his body, toward his right, and squealed in delight. “Dededededede,” her lips insisted, and he knew exactly what she meant without even looking. Dee was there. He smiled as well, turning his gaze to see his friend making her way up the shore. He lifted Peyton’s hand in a little wave, then picked up the bag to plod across the shore toward her.
“She’s excited,” Neil informed Dee just in time for Peyton to shyly bury her face in his neck. He patted her back, then pulled Dee in for a slightly awkward hug, considering the child hanging from around his neck, supported by his left arm. “How are you?”
Still, the future called to him, beckoning them both forward into the unknown. He wanted to know what it would be like on her first day of school, to watch her enter the classroom, looking back at him one last time before taking her seat. He wanted to experience her first crush and heartbreak alongside her, to chase away the nightmares, and to heal her scrapes with kisses. If given the chance, he would not freeze time, for, if left in this moment, he would forever wonder what could have been.
They had been planning this trip for at least a month. It was all Dee had talked about for a while, even going so far as to drag him—and Peyton, naturally—to town for some shopping. The result was his daughter’s current ensemble, a muted green one-piece topped by a puffed-sleeved, yellow polo dress. It was not something he would have been able to pick himself—as it was, his mother helped him shop for the majority of Peyton’s clothing—but the result was something that he approved. Her pale skin lathered with sun block, she was completely ready for a day at the beach. Neil smiled. It was the perfect day for swimming, as the world had begun to cool from the heat of summer but had not yet faded into the cold temperatures of late fall and early winter. It was the sort of day that necessitated neither jacket nor fan. It was simply perfect.
Beside him, Peyton’s grip on his hand loosened, then removed itself entirely as she stooped down to study a foreign object strewn haphazardly across the sand. Neil had only brought her to the beach a handful of times before this. As it was, she had never before encountered the slick, green substance she now seemed so fascinated with. He watched as she reached out a tentative hand to stroke the slimy surface, a muted giggle working from her lips at the feel of it. Neil sidestepped to straddle her, his hands finding her stomach to lift her ever so slightly off of the ground. He whispered, mouth mere centimetres from her tiny, pink ear, “Seaweed.”
Her curious eyes shifted to his face, little hand moving to brush the stubble on his cheek as he lifted her into his arms. “Seewee?” She repeated, head cocked to the side. Neil chuckled, nodding slowly. “Seaweed.” He kissed her cheek and moved to set her back down on the sand, but she clung to him, little hands entwining in the hair at the nape of his neck.”No? Okay.” He shifted her position in his arms, resting her weight on his left arm and setting her diaper bag on the ground beside him. Her head rested against his shoulder as she babbled in unclear baby-speak. Neil wondered when full sentences would begin pouring from her mouth, as opposed to the occasional distinguishable word in the midst of nonsensical babbling. Would it change things, he wondered, to have a clear line of communication with her? Naturally, they communicated just as well now, and nearly always had, but he had a feeling that it would be different. The thought of it made him ever so slightly sad, though he did look forward to this change for the most part. Stop growing so fast, he pleaded silently, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
Her head lifted then, and her little mouth formed into a grin. She pointed across his body, toward his right, and squealed in delight. “Dededededede,” her lips insisted, and he knew exactly what she meant without even looking. Dee was there. He smiled as well, turning his gaze to see his friend making her way up the shore. He lifted Peyton’s hand in a little wave, then picked up the bag to plod across the shore toward her.
“She’s excited,” Neil informed Dee just in time for Peyton to shyly bury her face in his neck. He patted her back, then pulled Dee in for a slightly awkward hug, considering the child hanging from around his neck, supported by his left arm. “How are you?”
