Chapter 15 #2
Pulling instinctively at the hem of my coverup, I looked from him to the water.
It was still early afternoon, and the sun was warm on my skin.
We’d been at Coronado Beach for about an hour, and it was as beautiful as Sofia had said.
Her photos were mostly taken in the La Jolla area, which boasted tall cliffs with gorgeous glass-front houses dotted along them, reminding me of the Amalfi Coast. I’d made plans to walk around there soon.
But Coronado Beach was a long stretch of white sand that seemed to have tiny bits of golden pieces in it that glittered in the bright sunlight. Large boulders stood like sentries along the sidewalk, and a famous hotel, The Del, as the locals called it, was a prominent feature in the background.
Lunch had been simple sandwiches, along with some fruit and snack bars. I’d enjoyed a cold bottle of kombucha as the three of us chatted about what was left to do in MJ’s room.
“I don’t know,” I said slowly, answering his question. “Sofia warned me that the water was as cold as the Arctic.”
Miles’ laugh burst out of him at the sight of my wrinkled nose. MJ giggled next to him, digging into the sand with her beach toys. “Won’t know til you try,” he teased.
The night before, after leaving my other client’s house in town, I went to the nearby outdoor mall. It reminded me of a few malls we had in Rome. All the stores featured very fashionable clothes that usually intimidated me, especially swimsuits.
I called an emergency fashion session with Corinna, and she walked me through finding the right suit for my body type.
“Vicky, you don’t seem to realize that your hourglass figure is the envy of most women I know. I wish I had your curves.”
Pushing down the harsh words I’d told myself over the years about my fear of wearing something so revealing, I tried on suit after suit while my sister-in-law patiently waited. I should have taken her advice and just bought a bunch of them to try on at home, but I had no idea what to even buy.
I turned off the camera part as I kept switching suits. None of them felt right. Either my big bust was spilling out, squished into some kind of uni-boob, or my cellulite was visible for everyone to see. When I tried on the last one, tears might have slipped out from either joy or exhaustion.
As I spun around and flicked on the video, showing her my final attempt to find the perfect one, she lost her mind, yelling about how gorgeous I looked. I was glad my brother wasn’t home.
“Vicky, you look like a movie star,” she had gushed.
Looking around at the women in their tiny bikinis on the beach, some of whom had given Miles very interested looks that he ignored, I took a deep breath.
Grabbing the bottom of my cover-up, I slowly lifted it, revealing the bohemian-style olive-green swimsuit.
The halter top kept “the girls” in place without being scandalous.
The band around my natural waist hit just right to accentuate my hourglass figure.
The short skirt skimmed the top of my thighs, covering my ample curves in the back.
With a deep exhale, I pulled it completely off. I’m not sure if I could describe the moment exactly, but it felt like shedding old, uncomfortable skin—something I no longer needed or wanted. When I dropped my fringed cover-up on the blanket, I felt reborn.
I didn’t feel like a movie star; I felt like a goddess.
“Whoa,” I heard Miles whisper. I couldn’t face him. Not yet, but I was building up my nerve.
“Daddy, are you alright?” MJ asked. I couldn’t take it anymore. I turned my head to where he was sitting on the blanket. He was looking up at me, jaw dropped, eyes wide.
MJ pushed his jaw closed, making him startle. He swallowed and took a deep breath.
Mission accomplished.
Not only did I feel amazing, but I’d gotten the kind of reaction I had hoped for with Miles. It would’ve been enough for me to feel as beautiful as I did, but it sure didn’t hurt to have him appreciate what he saw either.
MJ gasped and said, “Shoot, I almost forgot.” She started rooting around in their beach bag, finally pulling out what looked like some kind of bracelet.
“I made these. One for each of us,” she said, with all the joy of a child who was proud of something they’d made.
Standing up and wiping her sandy hands on her shorts, she grabbed my wrist and slid an intricately woven bracelet onto it. When I lifted my arm to get a closer look, I noticed she had added several white beads to the black string. In the center of the beads was one gold one.
“MJ, this is beautiful,” I said, spinning the beads and making her giggle. “Thank you.”
“It’s my version of kintsugi,” she said, putting her own on before doing the same for Miles. They had to tug a bit to get it over his larger knuckles but finally succeeded.
“These are awesome, kiddo. Thanks,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “What made you think of this?”
“Hmm, well, the book I read said it came about when an artist didn’t want to throw away a broken bowl from the emperor.” She shrugged. “I guess we’re all a little broken in our own ways, you know? But God can make something beautiful from the pieces.”
Miles and I were both too stunned to speak right away. Finally, he pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly.
“You’re so unbelievably amazing. You know that?” he asked, his voice cracking at the end.
“You too, Daddy.” Peeking under his arms, she said, “And you.” When she held one arm open, I stepped in.
This moment would stay with me forever. In their warm embrace, the only word that came to mind was “home.” Before I could process it, Miles’ lips brushed softly over my forehead. MJ had pulled away, her attention focused on a seagull pecking at her open bag of chips.
His look was all I needed to know he felt the same way. I was so caught up in the emotion that I didn’t see the huge wave that pushed higher onto the shore, wetting my beach bag and nearly pulling it back out with it.
“Oh no,” I yelped, running after it, only to find that my clothes were sopping wet on the inside. Knowing my phone was safe on the blanket where we had taken pictures, making silly faces earlier, I started laughing.
Miles was a step behind me and joined in on the joke as I pulled out my jeans, which were now heavy with sand and water.
When the icy waters of the Pacific touched my bare feet a moment later, I yelped again.
Jumping out of the way, I nearly knocked over Miles, who held me by the waist to keep me upright.
“Swooning again, Ms. Lazzara?” he teased, his fingers tensing around me.
“Guess I am, Mr. Austin,” I answered, my smile wide.
“Daddy, come see the hermit crab I just found. Can I keep it?” MJ called excitedly.
“Absolutely not. No way,” he called back, not taking his eyes off me, neither of us hurrying from the moment.
“Aw, come on. I promise not to let it loose in the house again like last time. Who knew Princess Peach could climb that high?” she groused, making me laugh.
“Mario Kart?” I asked as he slid his arm away and moved toward her.
“Yup. Once she figured out she could beat us all at it last year, she named it after her favorite character. We didn’t find it for a week. Took forever to get that smell out of the bathroom. I think he tried to make a getaway through the tub.”
While MJ was chasing after the seagulls, Miles sat next to me on the now sandy blanket.
“So, tell me something about yourself I don’t know yet,” he said, looking at me expectantly.
“Hmm, well, my friend Ren and I have been writing out a plan to open our own design business since we met in college,” I answered, squinting as I looked at him.
“That’s a great idea.” Making swirls in the sand, he asked, “Are you planning to do that in Rome?” I knew what he was asking, and it made me measure my words carefully.
“That was the original plan, yes. But I think getting away from there and her moving to Tuscany for work has us considering our options.”
His finger stopped as he looked at me. “Options, huh?”
I shrugged and answered, “Yeah, I mean, we both have loved seeing more of the world outside of Rome, so nothing is set in stone anymore.”
“Options are good,” he said with a smile.
“Yeah, they are. I have a question for you, too. Tell me about your tattoo. The lines, the music notes, and a book. Interesting combo,” I said, pointing to what I could now see clearly since he was wearing a tank top over his board shorts.
Miles twisted his arm to see it and teased, “Like it, huh? Tattoos make your heart go boom?”
I pushed him, and he nearly toppled over.
“Hey, watch the goods there,” he said with a chuckle.
“You’re so ridiculous.” I tapped my hands together to get the sand off and laughed.
“I’ll tell you. Just don’t hit me again,” he answered as I rolled my eyes.
“The music notes are for me and MJ. We both love music and as you can tell, have it playing all the time,” he said, his love for her shining in his eyes.
“What are the weird lines?”
“Weird lines,” he huffed. “That’s tech code. It’s a part of my story from as far back as I can remember. Luke was the scientist. Growing up as kids, he was more extroverted than I was. I know, hard to believe with what you know of his and Sofia’s story.”
I chuckled and made a stern face, mimicking the way he was when they first met as adults.
“Exactly. Me? I was quiet. A little more serious. I found technology fascinating and was drawn to it. Turned out I was good at it.” He shrugged. “Dad always said to find something you love, so work is a joy, not a burden.”
I nodded, tracing the open book with my finger. “And this?”
He took a deep breath and turned to face the ocean.
“That’s just for me. When Katy and I split up, I was lost. MJ was just two, and I was overwhelmed.
Mom took off from the cosmetic business to come up and help me get situated.
I found a wonderful daycare center, quit my job, and got my business going. Found my way again. My new normal.”