Inheritance

Chapter 15

On Thanksgiving weekend, my family had cemented an annual tradition of yachting through the Atlantic ocean. It was something we'd done since I was first adopted by my uncle and his wife. 

I figured the only reason my uncle chose to continue the tradition, even now, was because Thanksgiving had been my aunt's favorite holiday. She loved the ocean and, as an artist, it was the muse behind many of her best-selling works.

My uncle never fully recovered from her passing, given its devastating nature. Ten years ago, she was killed by an intoxicated driver in a motor vehicle collision that left all involved parties permanently injured or dead. Since then, my uncle had made it his yearly mission to take us through the very waters where they'd spent their first honeymoon. And, I never missed a trip. 

My uncle was a lot of things, but one thing no one could take away from him was how much he loved his wife. These trips were evidence of that, as we attempted to uphold her memory. 

On the other hand, I personally enjoyed the escape these aquatic voyages provided, having recognized how important they were to Frank and my uncle. They never failed to bring us closer together, even during rough patches where we'd been relentlessly fighting or arguing with each another.

"I could get used to this view." Coco hummed from the lounge chair beside me, as she sipped on a cocktail and applied more sunscreen to her bronzing skin. "Babe, come help me put this on." She waved over to Ahmad, who had been preoccupied by the captivating ocean view provided by the drifting yacht. 

He immediately abandoned his inspection of the tropical scenery to heed to Coco's request. Taking the sun screen bottle from her hands, he squeezed a generous amount into his hands, then lathered it onto her back. I found myself melting at the way they were already beginning to behave like a couple.

The scene before me was a reminder of one of the many reasons this year's trip would be different than the others. Coco had always been my guest. But, she now had her own plus one. Since Ahmad and her were officially dating, I figured she'd bring him along but I hadn't anticipated that they'd be this clingy. 

Since the start of the trip, I'd barely had any time to talk to her alone. She'd been so committed to spending every waking second kissing and touching all over Ahmad, that it was beginning to become a bit insufferable to be around them. 

Personally, I was surprised when Coco had mentioned to me that they weren't exclusive yet. Might as well have been, considering the clingy way they continued to act with one another.

"You two are so cute." I complimented dryly, rolling my eyes when they began to giggle at an inside joke shared between just the two of them.

"Sasha, don't be a hater. I told you a million times that Ahmad has a bunch of rich friends that he could easily hook you up with." Coco replied in a chastising manner.

"First of all, no thanks. Second, I don't need a man to be happy. I can take care of myself." I lowered my crocheted hat so that it perfectly shielded my face from the sun.

When Ahmad finished applying sunscreen onto Coco's tanned skin, he proceeded to plop an open-mouthed kiss along her shoulder. She resumed reading her magazine, while he pulled out his phone. I, on the other hand, continued to soak in the warm sun, opting to take a short nap.

"There you guys are! We've been looking all over for you." Patricia squealed, making a grand entrance in her skimpy, pink bikini set. 

As the child of my father's best friend, Patricia often came on many of our family vacations. So, seeing her today wasn't necessarily a surprise. However, having Kendall by her side was a dignified chest move that I hadn't been sufficiently prepared for.