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CHAPTER NINE
*Lace*
Afire siren blares, my dreamscape combusts, and I propel upright, nearly scraping the top of my head on the interior dome light. Mind going from floaty and hazy to braced and focused in just a few blinks, I grab hold of the phone and turn off the obnoxious alarm.
This is it. Today is the day. Our meeting is at seven, booth setup is at eight, and the event opens to the public at nine. Hell for Leather must attend to represent their charity. Aside from the Kick-Start party, opening day of the vendor event is one of the only occasions they all show their faces at the same place and time.
That small window is my only opportunity to leave. Until then, I have a meeting to hold, a shift to cover, an escape to plan — Reece stirs beside me — and a baby to take care of.
I trigger the flashlight app on my phone, cup my hand over the bright light, and aim it down at her inky silhouette. “Best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up,” I whisper.
A few hours of sleep are better than none, I suppose. Getting up extra early today is a necessity to ensure everything is ready well in advance. There are other reasons, too. “I have a surprise for you — a little taste of what marvels await us on this new adventure,” I coo. Keeping my hand cupped over the light, I glance down at the time on my lock screen. “We gotta be quick, though.”
Reece stretches her arms and legs out, the size of her fat chin quadrupling as she tucks it for the full experience. I unlock the back passenger door, maneuver off the mattress until my bare feet meet the rough gravel outside, and do a thorough scan of the building and property lines before scrunching back down, reaching inside, and scooping her up.
After collecting my beach bag and hooking it onto the forearm opposite of the one I have curled around Reece, I close the door with a nudge of my knee, and we begin making our way to one of my most favorite places in the Universe. For now. “Just wait, Reece! I bet this is nothing compared to the amazing places we will see.”
My limbs are a bit heavy from the pills still swimming in my system, so making the trek around the building, across the street, and to the beach is a bit more strenuous than usual. But when my toes hit the powdery granules, I fill my lungs with the scent of cool, salty water and sand, and all my troubles float away.
Lips stretching into a grin, I point to the horizon. “Just in time.” Dark, burnt amber traces the line where the sky meets the water.
Nothing quite beats watching the sunrise on a beach. Even knowing the wonders of the world await us, this is still my paradise. I will miss it.
Belongings safely dropped near the dunes, I strip us both down to our birthday suits, dig out my bottle of shampoo and soap blend, pour dollops over each of our heads, and pad into the water.
A green flag, indicating calm waters, waves high on the pole in the distance. But an agitated, chilly current swoops around my ankles and swirls under the arches of my feet. No doubt someone will be out here soon to swap the green flag for a yellow one, warning swimmers to enter with caution. Reece and I wade deeper until her toes skim the water and create a tiny wake on the deceiviously-smooth surface.
The amber horizon has quickly turned orange and now leaks into a light pink, purple, and blue gradient. Picking up my pace, I scoop up some of the briny liquid, trickle it onto the top of her head, and work the glob of soap into a lather. While Reece smacks the water and I dodge the resulting splashes from getting into my eyes, I work the suds down her body, from her many neck creases to the bruise on her thigh still healing from her climbing antics the other night to her chubby toes.
“This might sting a little.” I grimace, preparing to dunk her rashy bum into the salty, restorative water. Holding her out, I blow into her face to get her to naturally hold her breath before dipping her entire body under a soft, rolling wave — the first one to swell, officially disrupting the calm energy.
Being a bona fide mermaid just like me, Reece only sputters for a few seconds as her head emerges, and her chunky fist rubs away the drops of water clinging to her saturated eyelashes.
The previously navy sky above us has finally given in to the pressure of the sun arriving and is now a dusky blue. In the distance, past the deep gulf and above its choppy surface, sits a bright red half-circle.
I make quick, albeit challenging, work of cleaning myself while keeping Reece from dipping under. “Short and sweet this time, baby girl. Tomorrow, we will watch the sunrise from somewhere new, only then can we linger and truly enjoy it.”
Another swell, bigger than the one before, chases us to the shore, breaking at our heels as they depress into the sodden sand. All the while we get dressed and hurry back to the saloon, a task list accrues in my mind.
Most importantly, I need to make a bank run, have a full vehicle service, and get a new phone to go with my new identity.
Ugh, I planned on having more than just a few hours to get all the last-minute stuff tackled. Perhaps I should just hit up the bank and knock out the rest in a different state.
Situated back inside the wagon, I dig in the baby bag for something to feed Reece for breakfast while she stares up at me with her big, green eyes like I am the most intriguing thing she has seen in days.
Coty tossed in a few expired packets of smushed carrots but no spoon. Improvising, I do the next best thing: scoop it with my finger and stick each bite into her mouth with one hand while rummaging through the bag for a toy to keep her entertained once the carrots are gone.
Her meal finished, she contentedly gums a ring of fake, rubber keys while I dig into my own bag and take out the first couple street items I see, not even caring what the combo looks like together.
Eyes black-rimmed from too much mascara, streaks of the errant goo striping my cheeks, and hair a wild mess, I change clothes and create a new messy bun, minus the bun part — more like a tumbleweed or something. “How do I look, hm?” I ask my new sidekick.
Reece flicks her focus upward. I twist my shoulders back and forth and give her a duck face. Her fat hand reaches out and slobbery fingers swipe at my puckered lips.
I immediately splutter. “Ugh, girl, you really need to work on that.”
She burbles.
I wrinkle my nose.
