Chapter 30

"Good morning, my precious girls."

"Come on, Cathy, let's go put our short outfits on."

As they are going upstairs to change Christopher yells to them, "But bring along some pull over pants and a sweater in case it is cold on the coast." He shakes his head with a smile and with a yawn he starts to make more pancakes.

Moments later Sarah comes down wearing her new short outfit. The shorts are short and form fitting. They are black and white striped. The leggings, what there is of them, do a butterfly type V thing on the outside of her thigh. There is a two-inch waistband that starts almost two inches below her bellybutton. The trimming is still in black and white, but offsets the pattern of the main part of the shorts. She has on a white tank top that has four little pink roses at the top along the neckline.

Cathy has on a pair of white sailing style shorts with a tee shirt with peasant dress style sleeves and neckline. It is also white. Both of the girls are smart and are wearing comfortable white tennis shoes.

Christopher is wearing jeans, his Army Rangers green tee shirt and his black boots. They are all armed with sunglasses and they are bringing a bag with pull over pants and sweatshirts just in case the coast is doing what it can do so well, and that is be unpredictable.

Even with stopping off for sightseeing, it doesn't take them long at all to reach the coastline. The wind is blowing and it is a little chilly, but it is also still early in the morning. "I think we should have left an hour later."

"I don't care. I want to walk on the beach," says Sarah, pulling him in that direction.

The surf is pounding the shore and the white foam of rage is churning this area into beautiful scenery of elegance and power. Ignoring the chill, Sarah runs out onto the sandy beach but waits for them.

"It's alright go, just don't get out of our sight." As Sarah runs to the water Christopher and Cathy clasp hands and follow behind on her little adventure.

"Christopher?"

"Yeah, babe."

"I am really enjoying my time out here."

"It doesn't have to end."

"What do you mean?"

"Stay. I love you, Sarah loves you, and we have the most wonderful adventures together, the three of us and just us when we are alone." Cathy smiles shyly as she looks down, her hair blowing wildly in the wind.

Just then Sarah turns towards them and waves. Even though her hair is also blowing wildly out in front of her it is still easy to see the smile on her face.

"That's a big step, and technically we've only been together for five days."

"So, we are together, though?" She moves her hair aside and nods as she looks up at him with a smile.

Christopher turns his back to the ocean for a moment so the wind will be blowing Cathy's hair behind her, but to where Cathy can still see Sarah. "Yes, we are together."

"That's good enough for me, for now. That doesn't mean you can't fly out here during July and spend another week with us. Once Sarah is done with the swim league I'll be coming out to do the movie. I'm hoping I can get Nan to let me bring Sarah with me."

"I love that you love Sarah so much. From what everybody has told me you have brought her out of a dark place, and the more I'm around you I can tell she has done the same for you. For a while I was thinking that maybe you were just a grouchy type person, but now I understand that the war was weighing you down."

"You know it's weird that you say that." He turns around, and hand in hand they continue to follow Sarah up the beach. "I thought so too, but I've come to realize that so much of my issues weren't from what happened while I was over there, but from the fact that I felt like a was betraying my brothers and sisters still there by returning home.

"Plus, the more successful I became, the guiltier I felt. Even though I tried to share my financial success with my three main military charities, I still felt like I was leaving them behind. The more comfortable I became in civilian life the guiltier I felt, because I know what they are living on a day to day basis."

"That's right, you do know because you were there. You did your tour and came home."

"I did three tours."

"You did three tours. You have nothing to feel guilty about."

"I know that now, but not before. I think maybe once I get the movie done and finish this new novel I'm working on, I'm going to volunteer with the USO as a successful writer and war veteran, and go spend some time with my brothers and sisters in Afghanistan so they know they have not been forgotten."

"I think that is a wonderful idea. It could be very healing for you, but don't forget you have some people here who love you dearly."

"I know." he says, pulling her to a stop and kissing her.

Just then Sarah runs up to them. "Look at this weird looking jelly thing, goo, stuff."

As they are walking up on it Christopher says, "Don't touch it. It is a jelly fish and they can sting you with very painful stings."

"A jellyfish. Huh? Too weird. Come on, let's go climb on those rocks over there."

"Hey, you slow down. Those rocks are very sharp, and they will tear up your bare legs if you slip and fall."

"I'll be careful," Sarah says with a smile as her hair continues to blow wildly.

Christopher sighs and he and Cathy pick up their speed. Just before Sarah gets to the rocks the surf hits it and it sprays upward with great power. Sarah stops and looks back at them, uncertain about climbing them now.

Christopher, ever the adventurer, climbs up on them so they can take a picture of him, and just as Cathy is snapping the picture another wall of white spray rises behind him and the wind blows it onto him.

"I want to be in a picture up there." Obviously Christopher has indeed been an influence on her.

"Be careful!" says Cathy, not liking this at all.

"Come on," says Christopher, helping Sarah up on the rocks.

After a few pictures they turn around and start heading back down the beach. At last the sun is high enough in the sky that it is influencing the temperature. They walk past the point where they originally started, and then as they come around a bend a huge beach opens up. It looks like it has been groomed for families to relax on the beach and even play in the surf.

Just up at the top of the beach is a little white and red building. "Keep an eye on Sarah for a second."

"Of course."

"Where are you going, Christopher?"

"Sarah, I'm going to get us some towels so you can play your beautiful little heart out while Cathy and I cuddle on the beach."

"Ewe. Cathy and Christopher sitting in a tree."

"Why you!" He acts like he is going to chase her.

She goes squealing off, but he turns around and goes to the building. "Hey!" Sarah says, putting her hands on her hips expecting to be chased.

"I'll be right back. Yes, I would like one giant beach towel to lie on and three regular ones to dry off with."

"Yes, sir."

"Thanks." Christopher goes over and gets as close to the water line as he dares and fights the wind to get the beach towel to lie out. Eventually Cathy takes pity on his efforts and does it in the first try by laying it out and then falling on it, all in one motion. "Very impressive."