AIDAN
I emerged from the water for the umpteenth time, glancing at the shoreline. Once Clio left, I’d gone back into the water, trying desperately to work off my frustration, but I couldn’t keep my mind off her.
I’d decided to head down to Malibu a couple of days early. I didn’t think Lila would mind, and I couldn’t face another day in the office listening to entitled rich people whine about their issues.
When I arrived, Lila’s things were spread out, but she was nowhere to be found. I figured she and her girlfriend were out, so I decided to take a walk and go for a swim. The morning and the water were too beautiful to pass up.
The sand immediately began to relax me. Then I spotted her: a beautiful young woman with generous curves standing in the water. She wasn’t used to the ocean, but she seemed determined to gain her sea legs. I walked along the beach, watching her surreptitiously. It might’ve been a little creepy, but I couldn’t help myself. From where I was, she faced away from me, wading in as though coaxing the water to play nice.
I smiled as I watched her move back and forth, giggling in delight at the sand squishing between her toes. Her incredible body already had my attention, but when she turned, and I saw her face, warmth spread through my chest.
My feet moved toward her, but I forced myself to stop. She looked so happy, and I didn’t want to interrupt. I glanced back one last time, just in time to see the current take her down. One second, she was there; the next, she was gone.
I raced across the sand and dove into the water. After what felt like forever, I saw the trail of her hair and grabbed her around the waist. My heart pounded as I pulled her out, terrified I was too late.
But she was okay. Relief washed over me, mixed with something unexpected. Her face was so open and intriguing. My mother’s words came rushing back: Your dream girl will appear, don’t you worry.
I should have left her alone to enjoy her day, but I couldn’t stop talking to her. There was something comforting yet exciting about her. Clio was genuine and guileless. When she said she was trying to be more authentically herself, it struck me. I’d left Los Angeles in need of something real, and here she was-real and natural, as if the universe had sent her to me.
She was young, likely close to my daughter’s age, but my body didn’t care. Holding her, feeling her curvy body against mine, separated by scraps of fabric, felt natural yet exhilarating. In two hours, I felt more alive than I had in years.
I looked out at the sea, excitement coursing through me. Finally calm, I returned to the house, determined not to scar my daughter for life. I walked back, enjoying the feel of the sand as I climbed the steep passage to the house’s back stairs.
I was excited to see Lila, who I hadn’t seen since the holidays. Despite our busy schedules, we stayed close, talking weekly and FaceTiming often.
Our bond had always been a relief to me, especially after the contentious split with her mother. I’d worried Lila would feel torn, but she stayed neutral. After the divorce, a teacher praised how happy and successful Lila had become. That was when I realized how toxic our home had been. Two happy homes were better than one miserable one.
Still, I carried guilt. I protected our routines fiercely and avoided bringing dates around. I didn’t want to add to the revolving door of husbands her mother seemed to go through like tissue.
I wondered briefly how Lila would react if I dated someone closer to her age. Shaking the thought away, I focused on the excitement of possibly hearing from Clio. I hoped I hadn’t scared her off.
Climbing the back steps of the beach house, I felt a surge of anticipation for the summer ahead. As I stepped inside, music blared from the kitchen, and I spotted Lila dancing to an energetic pop song. She sang along at the top of her lungs, completely off-key, while setting up plates and utensils.
I smiled, recalling her grandmother’s advice to protect her light. From the time she was little, Lila had been a beacon of joy. Now, with law school just a year away, she was still that vibrant spirit-though her singing was as terrible as ever.
She twirled, singing into a fork, and jumped when she saw me. “Dad!” she shrieked, clutching her chest. “Holy crap, you scared me!”
“I’m sorry, sweetie, didn’t mean to sneak up on you,” I told her.
She waved a dismissive hand in my direction. “Don’t apologize, Dad. I mean, it is your house, I just wasn’t expecting you for a couple more days.”
“I know, I just got anxious to get out of L. A.,” I said.
She tilted her head to the side, eying me over for signs of anything being wrong. “Everything ok?”
“Yeah,” I said, hoping it sounded convincing. “I just really needed a break.”
“That’s totally understandable,” she said as she took a big bite of her burrito. “I mean, you really do need to think about getting a life, Dad.”
I raised an eyebrow. “I wasn’t aware that I was ‘unalive’ as you’re suggesting.”
She spoke with her mouth full, not caring for manners around her old man. “I wouldn’t say ‘unalive’ necessarily, but all you do is work. Learn how to relax…maybe find someone to relax with, is all I’m saying.”
I rolled my eyes at her and groaned. “Uh, you and my mother.”
“Hey,” she admonished, pointing a finger at me. “Don’t you dare talk mess about my Gigi,” she warned playfully.
I smiled at her, shaking my head. “I wouldn’t dream of it, sweetie.”
“I’m just saying,” she said around another bite of burrito, “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”
“Who’s this Jack?” I asked, but she just continued on like I hadn’t said anything at all.
“… and then I’m going to be hearing about you on the news chasing people around with an axe, saying ‘here’s Aidan!’ I just don’t want it to get that far, okay?” she finished.
I rolled my eyes at her. She could be so silly sometimes. “Alright, alright, enough with the dramatics. I’m here, aren’t I? And I have every intention of relaxing-”
“And finding someone to relax with?” she inserted.
“Sweetheart, you don’t need to worry about my dating life,” I assured her.