Chapter 488 Surprise
The car cruised along the wide coastal highway, the salty sea breeze pouring in through the half-open window, clearing out the stuffy air inside. Skylar wriggled in her car seat, suddenly clapping her hands and singing.
"Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are!"
Skylar stretched out the word "star," swinging her little feet to the beat, her off-key singing making Edward laugh. He freed one hand to gently hold mine, his thumb softly stroking the back of my hand, while his other hand tapped the steering wheel to the rhythm.
"Our Skylar is a little singer!"
"No, I'm a princess!"
Skylar puffed out her cheeks, her sweet childlike voice protesting, "When we get to the beach, I'm gonna collect lots and lots of shells, make a necklace for Mommy, and ask Daddy to build me a big castle!”
Skylar then animatedly recounted stories from preschool, from the boy who snatched toys to the teacher who snored during nap time, making Edward and me laugh and exchange glances. The sunlight outside the window seemed to shine even brighter.
By the time we arrived at the beach, the sunset had painted the sky the color of orange soda.
Skylar, like a little bunny, kicked off her pink sandals and dashed towards the sand, shouting as she ran, "Mommy, look! The sand is tickling my feet! It's so ticklish!"
While Edward set up the barbecue grill not far away, I held Skylar's hand and walked slowly along the shoreline.
The damp sand wrapped around our toes, and Skylar suddenly squatted down, her chubby little hands digging in the shallow water.
"Mommy! Look at this shell, it's shaped like a little fan!"
Skylar held up a pale pink scallop shell, tiny water droplets clinging to her eyelashes, "I'm gonna give you all the prettiest ones!"
We squatted by the rocks left by the receding tide, and Skylar suddenly held her breath, pointing her little finger at a crack in the rocks.
"Something's moving there!"
A small white puppy, about the size of a hand, was trembling, its grayish fur revealing its bony ribs, yet it stubbornly pawed at the shells.
"It's looking for food!"
Skylar immediately broke the cookies from her pocket into pieces, "Here, puppy, this smells good!"
The puppy initially retreated a step cautiously, but then, attracted by the scent of food, it tentatively approached, its tail gently brushing against Skylar's palm.
Edward's voice called out from a distance. "Dinner's ready, princesses!"
Edward had already set up a sunshade on the beach, the stainless steel grill gleaming in the twilight, and the picnic basket beside it was filled with food.
"Here comes the little helper!"
He waved to Skylar, who immediately ran over with her short legs, "Daddy, I know how to blow the fire! My teacher taught me!"
Skylar puffed out her cheeks and blew at the lighter, making Edward quickly stop her, "Sweetie, this isn't a blowing contest!"
As the fire gradually grew stronger, the white stray puppy timidly approached. It was so thin that its ribs were visible, but its tail wagged happily, its wet eyes fixed on the sizzling sausages on the grill.
"Mommy! It's saying hello to me!"
Skylar immediately squatted down, offering the puppy a piece of bread she had bitten, "Good puppy, eat my bread, and you'll be my friend!"
The puppy tentatively licked the bread, its tail wagging even more. Edward handed me a grilled sausage with a smile, "This puppy has good taste, knowing today is our little princess's birthday."
Dinner was filled with laughter. Edward skillfully flipped the skewers, while Skylar gnawed on a sausage, her face covered in crumbs. Suddenly, her eyes lit up.
"I'm gonna perform for Daddy, Mommy, and the puppy!"
Skylar jumped off the beach chair, twirled on her tiptoes, and spread her arms, singing.
"Two little tigers, two little tigers, running fast, running fast!"
When she sang "one has no ears," she covered her right ear and made a funny face; when she sang "one has no tail," she turned around and wiggled her bottom.
The puppy seemed captivated by Skylar's movements, hopping along with her, making us laugh continuously. Edward placed peeled shrimp into my bowl, his fingertips brushing against the back of my hand, his eyes full of tenderness. "Try this, I bet it's better than the takeout you get at work."
Edward's gaze was focused on me, as if waiting for my verdict. I took a bite of the shrimp, exaggeratingly squinting my eyes. "Looks like your cooking skills have improved a lot over the years!"
Edward's lips curled into a proud smile, and he gently wiped the sauce from the corner of my mouth, his actions natural and affectionate.
As the sunset gradually faded, the string lights above us lit up, casting a warm yellow glow. Skylar suddenly pulled out the music box Edward had given her from her bag. As the music box opened, a beautiful melody flowed out. Beneath the delicate piano design, a ballerina in a tutu spun to the music. Skylar covered her mouth in surprise, then turned to the puppy napping at her feet.
"It likes music too! Daddy, can I keep it as a gift? Can we take it home? I'll sing to it every day and teach it to sit and shake hands!"
Skylar's big eyes sparkled under the streetlights, like two little galaxies.
Edward looked at me for approval, and I nodded gently. He smiled and picked up Skylar, his warm breath brushing against my earlobe.
"Looks like we're adding a new member to our family."
I reached out and playfully tapped Skylar's little nose, and she giggled, snuggling into Edward's arms.
Edward freed one hand to hold mine, and our shadows overlapped on the beach. "From now on, we can bring Skylar and the puppy to the beach for camping on weekends."
Edward looked down at me, his eyes full of hope for the future.
I leaned against Edward's shoulder, feeling his familiar scent. "Sure, and we'll teach Skylar how to pitch a tent. She might even hide the puppy in the tent as her secret base."
Edward laughed at my words, his laughter blending with the sound of the waves, making it especially pleasant in the night. Just then, a burst of fireworks suddenly lit up the distant sea, the golden sparks falling like shooting stars, illuminating Skylar's little face.
"Fireworks!"
Skylar bounced excitedly in Edward's arms, her little hands pointing high at the sky. Edward held her steadily, pulling me closer with his other hand, and the three of us huddled together. The fireworks continued to bloom in the sky, purple, indigo, and pink-white, lighting up the rolling waves and the joy in Skylar's eyes.
Edward looked down at us, his eyes full of tenderness. He gently wrapped his arm around my shoulder, his chin brushing against the top of my head.
"I used to think fireworks were fleeting, but now I feel that being with you at this moment is enough."
"Mommy, will you and Daddy get married?"
Skylar suddenly looked up, her innocent eyes full of anticipation.
I looked up at Edward, the light from the fireworks casting shadows on his face, outlining familiar yet unfamiliar features.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
