Unexpected Arrivals(75)

“Cora!” His little voice carried over the waves to where I laid out our towels and put up an umbrella. “Come in the water.” He waved his hands to indicate just what water he meant.

I couldn’t suppress the giggle or my desire to see him smile. Regardless of how my feelings had ricocheted back and forth about the situation, being in Legend’s presence seemed to wash away the reality of what we were up against. Chelsea had given us a gift so precious, yet I hadn’t even known I’d wanted it. I shimmied out of my shorts and removed my tank top. Just before I took off toward the man I loved and his little boy I’d grown undeniably smitten with, I kicked off my flip-flops and pulled up my hair. I’d never enjoyed the beach as much as I did that morning. The world around us ceased to exist, settling in together, splashing and having fun.

I never thought I’d be enamored with a child I barely knew and had just met, yet every time I picked up his little body, or he went chasing after a ball he’d dropped, or sent a Frisbee flying into the water, I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face or the joy that filled my heart. Legend exuded personality and vibrancy—he was infectious in the best possible way. And each time that thought crossed my mind, a twinge of regret followed—I’d never get to meet the woman who’d raised such a gentle soul.

“Daddy, do you have floats at your mama’s house?”

“I’m sure they do. Want me to go find out?”

His red head bobbed eagerly.

“You mind staying with him while I run up to the house?”

I waved him off as though his question was insipid, while inside, I was slightly terrified. The waves were huge, and the ocean could be a dangerous place. It would only take one wrong move for Legend to slip into the undertow and me not be able to get him back to safety. He was a strong swimmer for his age, but I held my breath until James returned. We laughed at him bouncing down the shore with two long rafts and a tube that beat against his legs with every step he took.

When he finally arrived back in the water, I released the panic I’d held inside and helped Legend into the tube. And as soon as I lay down on the raft James had given me, Legend reached out to me.

“Cora, hold my hand, so the waves don’t take you away.”

I was in awe of a child who had lost his mother being able to enjoy the world around him and worry about other people. At that moment, I realized just how great his capacity for love was, and how lucky we were to have him come into our lives when he had. We’d only spent a handful of hours with him, yet somehow, I couldn’t imagine never having met him.

Lying there, rolling with the motion of the water beneath me and the sun shining down, I let my mind go quiet and quit overthinking everything. And just as I’d settled under the warmth of the day with my eyes closed, certain James had one of Legend’s hands and I had the other, I heard his little voice.

“My mama would think you’re pretty.”

I shielded my brow with my fingers to look his direction. His chocolate-brown eyes stared back at me with a hint of sadness he clearly fought. Before I could say anything, he kept speaking.

“She told me how much my daddy loved you, and when her turn with me was over, that you would be special. I’m glad she was right.” His bottom lip trembled with his admission.

My heart firmly lodged itself in my throat, and I hopped off the float to find my feet planted on the ocean floor. I didn’t ask Legend’s permission or even look at James. My hands reached under the little boy’s arms, pulled him from the tube, and held him against my chest. I knew firsthand the pain he was in, but his mom had promised him he would be loved even after she was gone, and he’d believed her. Chelsea had put so much trust in me that she encouraged her son to love me blindly—without ever having laid eyes on me or exchanged a single word. And for that, I was grateful. Even more, the faith of this child brought me to my knees.

“Oh, buddy, thank you,” I whispered into his ear, hoping he could hear me although not caring to share our truth with anyone else. “I know how much it hurts. I hope you’ll tell me all about her. Every day.” I vowed to myself to ensure he remembered the way she loved him and the memories they collected in the short time they had together. I’d had seventeen years with my parents, and the memories weren’t nearly as sharp as they were then. His would fade quickly if James and I didn’t ensure he didn’t forget.

“I promise.”

I hadn’t paid any attention to James getting off the raft when he lost hold of Legend’s hand, and when I finally opened my eyes and still had Legend securely in my embrace, I looked over the little boy’s shoulder to see his father biting back tears. Somehow, James knew Legend and I were bound by a loss he would never understand. He would never experience losing a parent as a child. That one exchange, just a handful of words, tied my heart to a child I wasn’t aware I needed, yet now, I couldn’t imagine never having.

When Susan and Brock appeared under the umbrella, it signaled lunchtime and the perfect way to escape the emotional overload. They were as excited to meet Legend as James had been. I’d never thought of them as the grandparent type, but here they were almost bouncing on their toes, waiting for us to come out of the water.

***

“James, your parents are here. And they brought lunch.” I propped Legend on my hip like I’d done it a thousand times in the last five years and pointed at the huge picnic basket Brock held at his side. It had been the plan, but seeing the size of the basket, I wondered if they’d packed enough food to feed us for days instead of just one meal.