You and Me | ✅

t w e n t y e i g h t

"How old is he?" Hayze asked as he watched the little boy pass one of his stuffed toys over to Rosie and hold her close so she didn't fall over as the boat rocked. 

"He just turned two."

Hayze shook his head in disbelief. He was oddly protective of Rosie for such a young boy.

"Wow. He's so smart and brave for his age," River said as she pulled her hair back out of her face.

"Yeah. He loves a good adventure or challenge. Climbs anything that can be climbed, touches anything that doesn't look poisonous. Which can be a struggle sometimes. He likes to go around grabbing things out of tide pools when we aren't looking."

River giggled and looked out at the ocean before her eyes fell back on the two kids. "They're so cute. Aren't they Hayze?"

He nodded distantly as his eyes narrowed on Cyrus as he tried to pick Rosie up into his arms but it was a little awkward for him so he ended up falling backwards and cushioning Rosie's fall. Rosie squealed and giggled away as Cyrus cradled her protectively.

Hayze's lips lifted into a crooked smile as he took note that Cyrus would be a real ladies man. But not to his daughter. Not when she was only nine months old.

"Rosie!" he called and she turned to look at him at the sound of her name. "You want some milk?"

"Hayze," River hissed. "She's having fun."

"She hasn't eaten anything besides that small bit of smoothie that I gave her this morning. She needs to drink her milk."

Hayze picked up Rosie and Cyrus held his hands up for him so he picked him up to before making his way back over to the group. 

He placed Rosie into River's arms before he sat down with Cyrus.

"So, how old are you little man?"

Cyrus peered up at him and held up two fingers. Hayze nodded. "Its nice to be young," he commented and Cyrus cracked a little smile before reaching into his swim trunks and pulling out a little gold bracelet. 

Hayze furrowed his eyebrows at how small it was and where he had gotten it from. His parents didn't seem fazed at all.

"Baby?" he said quietly as he grabbed Rosie's ankle. 

River smiled at him and held Rosie out on her knee. 

Cyrus looked over at his parents before he pointed to his ankle which had a little black anklet around it which was held together with a gold anchor.

"It goes on her wrist darling," Margot said as she pointed to her own wrist.

Cyrus grabbed Rosie's wrist and clipped the little bracelet on her tiny wrist. Rosie smiled and bounced on River's knee as she clapped happily and fidgeted with her new bracelet.

"Say thank you. Thank you," River instructed to Rosie until she started to sound it out herself.

"Mama, tan q," she babbled and everyone clapped excitedly.

"Yayyy baby. You said thank you!" River squealed as she tickled Rosie's tummy.

Cyrus smiled, his gray eyes twinkling slightly as he shakily climbed up onto the couch beside River.

The adults talked while they slowly sailed to the other side of the island while Cyrus and Rosie basically stared at each other until Rosie began to get grumpy.

"Why she cwying?" Cyrus asked as he gently grabbed her yellow dress.

"She's probably hungry," Kaui said as he turned the helm slightly. 

"Apple?" he asked as he looked over at the yellow apple sitting in a cooler.

"No. She drinks milk like you do sometimes," Margot said as she pulled Cyrus closer to her. 

River stood up to go below deck but Margot stopped her. "Stay out here. I was just getting to know you."

River bit her lip and looked over at Hayze who nodded in agreement. 

"If it makes you feel any better, i'll let Cyrus have some milk too so you won't feel uncomfortable. You have to get used to doing things like this if you have a baby because its their needs first before anyone else's. Feeding them when their hungry is not a crime. I learned that the hard way."

River smiled and sat down. "I wish I had you there in the restaraunt."

Hayze could see the tenseness from River's shoulders fade away. He knew she was a bit cautious about making friends, especially with girls now that she knew why Nani had gotten so close to her. And having someone there with more experience made things feel a lot easier.

Hayze tore his gaze away from Margot as she lay Cyrus across her lap and instead fixed his gaze on his wife who was trying to steady Rosie in her arms as she carefully slipped one of her bathing suit sleeves down.

It was quite strange the way his wife was able to provide their baby's source of nutrients. It was a beautiful thing really.

Hayze threw an arm over her shoulders and kissed her temple as he gazed out at the water.

It was a beautiful day