Page 26 of Forever Oblivion

“Pretty!” Levi exclaimed.

“Ay…”

“I know,” she whispered.

I met her gaze. “It’s going on my nightstand.”

“I want one,” Levi pouted.

Her smile widened. “Good.”

My lips brushed over hers, even as I slid the shell into the pocket of my board shorts.

“I want a shell!” Levi said again, louder.

I pulled back, my gaze still locked with Aya’s. “You have twenty-three in the jar already.”

“Not one like yours,” Levi pouted.

I cleared my throat. “We’ll look for one for you.”

“Okay,” he said, the slight frown still pulling at his brows.

He must have sensed the shell was special, and he didn’t like being left out. But the conch, like the malas Aya wore on her wrist and around her neck every day, was ours. Still, Aya and I helped Levi search for another conch until he grew bored and settled into the surf.

“We still need to agree on a name,” Aya murmured. She wrapped an arm around her belly as she sat next to our son, who kicked his legs, flinging water and foam everywhere. She smiled.

“Takes time to pick the right one,” I said. I lowered myself next to her and kissed her temple. “But we’ll get there.”

I wrapped an arm around her and brought Levi into my lap, enjoying the warmth of the sun and sand and the closeness of my family.

* * *

End