Begin Again

Chapter 5

"This your dog?"

She looks at me with wide eyes, "Um, yup! You like dogs, right?"

"No." I deadpan.

Her eyes widen further, "Uh-I, um-"

I laugh, "Just kidding. Love dogs. We have two, but Serv got them in the divorce."

She lets out a sigh, "Oh thank god. Hating dogs is like a deal breaker."

I kneel down, "Hi max! Ugh, you're adorable."

He licks my face.

"Momma! He's so big! Like blue!"

I smile at Charlie, "Just like Blue, baby."

I stand up and see Mack staring at me, "What?"

She shakes her head, "Nothing."

I bite my lip, "Okay. I have snacks and drinks. Charlie, you need sunscreen."

"I can do it." Mack says.

"Oh. Uh, okay, thanks!" I say and hand her the sunscreen.

She starts doing that and I pull out our beach blanket, laying it out.

I start peeling my clothes off and turn around to see Mack completely frozen.

I chuckle, "Eyes up here."

She looks up and I watch her face turn red, "I'm going, uh, swimming. Yep, that's where I'm going."

I laugh when she runs off.

"Alex, sand castle?" Riley asks.

I look at Riley, "Yeah! Let's build one!"

We start building a sand castle when Mack finally gets out of the water and comes back.

"Cooled off?" I tease.

She smacks me with her towel and then sits on the blanket next to me.

"How was your morning?" I ask.

She bobs her head, "It was good. It's always peaceful when we go."

I smile, "You're okay?"

She nods, "Yeah, I'm okay."

She reaches over and grabs my hand and I smile wider.

"I had to tell Riley that she's going to see a social worker, but I told her it was a new teacher that's going to help her and I with what happened to her momma." She sighs.

I rub my thumb over her knuckles, "Did she take it okay?"

She bobs her head, "She said that she was bad. I hate that. She's not bad and I don't want her to feel that way. I just know that she's upset and doesn't know how to cope."

"A social worker will help. Is she having a hard time at preschool?" I ask.

She nods, "Yeah. Not sharing, wanting to be by herself, shoving other kids, not napping. But I watch her now and she seems okay."

I turn and look at her and Charlie building the sandcastle a few feet away.

"She also knows that you're right here. You're her security blanket, but at school, you're not there."

"Maybe, that's definitely possible. Maybe Charlie is the perfect friend for her, just like you're the perfect-"

She stops and shakes her head then pulls her hand away from mine.

"Mrs. Hughes!"

She turns and I look to see a couple of high school students.

"Hey Jamie!" Mack says.