Page 15 of Just Like That

I looked over and suppressed a laugh. He was dressed in blue swim trunks and a matching long-sleeved rash guard. His swim goggles were already on, along with a noseclip. His feet were shoved into black water shoes, and his hands were on his hips.

“Wow,” I choked out, using a cough to cover the humor in my voice. “You seem well prepared.”

“The sun’s rays contain UV light that damages DNA. One in five will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.” Teddy looked down at his covered arms. “But not me.”

My heart squeezed. “Not you, bud. Come here.”

He waddled forward in his water shoes and allowed me to wrap him in a hug. I climbed behind the wheel and buckled myself in while Teddy found a seat on the couch behind me. “Ready for the beach, Skipper?”

“Aye, aye, Captain.” Teddy saluted me as the engine roared to life. I turned the bus in a wide circle, narrowly missing the manicured plants at the edges of JP’s property.

In Outtatowner, it felt as though everything wasthree doors downorjust a block over, but JP had chosen to live on the outskirts of town like the sourpuss he appeared to be. As a result, I’d be hauling my entire house around if I wanted us to go anywhere.

I cranked up the radio and sang along as we made our way back toward town and followed the signs for North Beach. Despite it being only 10:00 a.m., the parking lot was nearly packed. She could be bulky, so instead of cramming into one of the tight spaces in the lot, I parked the skoolie up the road.

Once we were settled, I grabbed an oversize bag and stuffed it with a blanket, my wallet, a few snacks, and sunscreen. “Should we stop somewhere to buy some beach toys?”

Teddy shook his head. “I have my book.”

I scoffed as we exited the bus. “If you say so.”

From the outside of the bus, I set up my phone to take a few pictures. The beach was just visible behind the skoolie. I grinned, giving a thumbs-up. My caption readBus life, beach life!

I posted it to my social media profile and slipped my phone into the beach bag. We received a few odd glances and smiles as I locked up the skoolie. A couple of people took pictures and asked about my house on wheels. Teddy and I walked down the long hill that led toward the sandy beach.

In the distance, the pier jutted into the Lake Michigan waters, and an adorable lighthouse stood proudly at the end. The pier was busy with people fishing, couples walking hand in hand, and families taking photos near the lighthouse. The air was crisp and clean. Though summer was waning, the sun was warm and I hoped a day at the beach would be what Teddy and I needed to feel centered again.

I gripped his hand—he was too easy to lose in a crowd, and I had learned my mistake the first time. We made our way across the soft, pale sand toward the water’s edge. Teddy kicked up bits of sand with every step, and I adjusted my bag, searching for a small opening for us to set down a blanket and relax.

After weaving through families setting up extravagant tents with coolers, tables, and umbrellas, I plopped my bag down a few feet away from a pregnant woman and her daughter. Grabbing a blanket from the bag, Teddy helped me smooth it across the sand, and we each kicked off our shoes before sitting cross-legged on the ratty quilt.

“Want to jump in the water?” I asked, lowering my sun hat across my eyes.

Teddy’s mouth twisted as he gripped a book in his lap. I followed his gaze to the young girl kicking the waves and laughing. “Maybe.”

I rubbed his back. “You’re allowed to have fun sometimes.”

He shot me a plain look. “Readingisfun.”

“I agree. But so is swimming in the ocean and finding seashells.” I bumped my shoulder into his.

“It’s not an ocean,” he retorted.

I grinned. “Even better! No salt water to sting your eyeballs or give you a parasite or whatever other weird shit you look up on the internet.”

When he scowled at me, I grinned and playfully stuck out my tongue, which earned me the tiniest smirk. Teddy only harrumphed, but didn’t chastise me for cursing in front of him again.

I lay back, stretching across the blanket and soaking in the DNA-damaging rays while Teddy fidgeted beside me and contemplated his choice.

I let the beach sounds fade away, and it was grounding to feel the soft sand beneath the quilt and the sun’s rays warm my skin. There was no denying that slowing down and feeling a connection to the earth made everything else—losing my sister, becoming Teddy’s guardian, tracking down his dad, trying to find myself in the midst of all of it—seem slightly bearable.

I needed that strength if I was going to help Teddy absorb the crushing blow of JP’s inevitable dismissal.

I turned my head and peeked at Teddy through my eyelashes. My heart filled with love for my little nephew. It would be JP’s loss in the end. Teddy was an incredible human, and if he couldn’t see that Teddy was worth getting to know, then he didn’t deserve him in his life.

Teddy was still staring at the lake and the children playing in it as if they were a personal affront to his sensible nature. He picked at the threadbare blanket beside him.

“Fine. I’ll go.” Without any further explanation, Teddy stood and stomped toward the water.

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