ᯓ★ It was a hot day at the beach, the kind where the sun didn’t just shine—it pressed down on everything.

The sky stretched endlessly blue, not a single cloud in sight, while the waves rolled in steady, crashing against the shore in a rhythm that blended with laughter and distant chatter. The sand was almost blindingly white, warm beneath your feet, clinging stubbornly to your skin no matter how many times you brushed it off.

Kids ran along the shoreline, their laughter loud and careless, while adults lounged on towels, soaking up the sun like they had nowhere else to be. A group of teens splashed each other in the water, and further out, surfers floated on their boards, waiting for the perfect wave.

It was loud.

Alive.

And somehow still perfect.

Family beach day.

Your baby girl waddled beside you, her tiny hand wrapped around yours as she struggled a little with the soft sand. She wore a pink matching two-piece just like yours, the color bright against her sun-kissed skin. Her blonde baby hair was tied into two small pigtails, already a little messy from the ocean breeze, bouncing with every step she took.

She looked up at you, squinting slightly from the sunlight, and you smiled down at her without even thinking.

Behind you, Rafe Cameron followed, and it was hard not to notice him.

He wasn’t wearing a shirt—of course he wasn’t—it was the beach. The sun caught against his skin, already slightly tanned, a light sheen of sweat making it glisten. His hair was pushed back messily, damp at the edges, and his jaw tightened slightly as he squinted against the brightness.

Beach towels were slung over his shoulder, Lottie’s baby bag hanging from his arm, and a cooler gripped in his hand. The sand clearly wasn’t doing him any favors as he walked, every step just a little heavier.

“Jesus, it’s hot,” he muttered, voice low, dragging slightly as he shifted the bag higher on his arm.

He looked between you and your daughter, shaking his head faintly like he couldn’t believe this was his life now—but there was no real complaint behind it.

Not when he was still carrying everything.

Not when his gaze softened, just for a second, when it landed on Lottie.

She suddenly let go of your hand, wobbling forward a few steps before turning around, arms reaching out.

“Daddy!”

Rafe exhaled a quiet breath that almost sounded like a laugh, dropping the cooler into the sand with a dull thud before crouching down.

“Yeah, yeah—c’mere,” he said, scooping her up easily, lifting her onto his hip.

She giggled instantly, grabbing onto his shoulder, her tiny fingers curling against his skin.