Page 94 of Resilient Rhythms
Daisy Rae Tate is six months old when we decide to relocate to Costa Rica. Not permanently, but for a handful of months.
Since starting my maternity leave, I keep part-time hours for Aiden’s firm, practicing entertainment law. Not because I have to but because I love the work. Aiden is a phenomenal mentor and I enjoy my time at the office.
When he learned about Mav’s desire to spend a stretch of time in Costa Rica, he encouraged me to say yes. So, I did.
Besides, I want to enjoy the sea and sunshine with Daisy. It’s hard to believe my sweet little girl is already six months old. Mav and I have embraced parenthood with open arms and spend as much time as possible with Daisy Rae.
“Ready to dip her toes in the ocean?” Mav asks, entering the house with a surfboard tucked under one arm. He props it in the foyer, next to the front door, and I laugh.
“Isn’t there a better place to keep that?” I point to the board.
He shrugs. “Probably. Is my girl ready?”
I nod, standing with Daisy and passing her to Mav. He holds her out, grinning at her swimsuit. “She looks so cute.”
“Let me get her sun hat.”
“And sunscreen,” he advises. “And a beach blanket.”
“An extra towel,” I tack on.
“Do we have snacks?” he wonders.
I snort. “Remember when we used to go to the beach with nothing?”
“Yeah,” Mav laughs. “Those days are long gone.”
“It’s about to be even more intense. Derek and Allegra arrive tomorrow with Christian,” I say, referencing their sweet baby boy. “Derek ordered a tent to our house.”
“He’s so overprotective.”
I arch an eyebrow.
“What? I’m not that bad,” Mav disagrees, holding Daisy closer and cupping the back of her head. “I just want to keep you safe and happy,” he murmurs to our daughter.
I shake my head and grab our loaded beach bag. “Let’s go. We have some time before her nap.”
We head down to the beach and dip our daughter’s toes in the ocean. We stretch out on a beach blanket, in the shade of an umbrella, and listen to the rolling waves. I stare at Daisy, studying the cute shape of her nose, the perfect flutter of her eyelashes, the gentle purse of her lips. After she falls asleep, I scoop her up and take her home while Mav loads up our beach gear.
Once Daisy is sleeping peacefully in her crib, I turn toward my husband.
“We have at least an hour,” I tell him, wriggling out of my coverup.
He sucks in a breath when he sees me in my bikini. While I don’t have the beach body I once did, Mav’s eyes flare with heat as he drinks in my curves.
“I plan to enjoy every second of that hour,” he mumbles as he steps closer. His palm skates across my abdomen, softer now, and around my back. He plucks at the bikini string and my top falls away.
Mav grins. “Love being here with you, Mckenna.” He pulls me closer, dropping a kiss to the side of my neck. “Love getting to spend our days like this.”
“Me too,” I agree, arching my neck to give him more access.
Then, I spend an hour wrapped up in my husband’s arms, making love while our daughter sleeps soundly.
Once Daisy wakes up, we hang out as a family. While I feed Daisy, Mav bakes cookies for Allegra and Derek’s arrival. And I relish in our new normal.
The ordinary day-to-day routines that enrich my life in ways I never knew possible.
Listening to Mav sing as he bakes, drinking in Daisy’s expressions as she plays on her play mat, thinking about the time I’ll spend with one of my best friends, both of us new mothers, fills me with contentment and peace.
