Her simplicity was so easy as she wandered amongst the sand, gazing dreamily out at the ocean stretched so far before her. I watched her in fascination as she roamed about, hesitantly watching the water, but stopping herself before coming close enough for it to touch her. I stayed a safe distance from her, so that I wasn't too close, but not too far away either. It was satisfying just to watch her go about her business, ignoring everything and everyone in the world as she broke away from existence for a while.
A smile found its way to my lips as I watched her pretty brown eyes taking in the sights around her and at once, I was glad on deciding to take this trip to the shore. It was the perfect getaway from the bustle of the city, and the beach was still unknown territory, to me as well as to her. It would be an adventure, I told her before we left. I don't know if she was thrilled at the thought of leaving home at first, but the idea grew on her, just like I knew it would.
Her lips were moving slowly as if she were talking to someone standing right next to her. It made me wonder what she was saying, and to whom she was saying it. A quick lurch in my gut reminded me of the desperate longing to hear her voice, to know what she was thinking and feeling as she stood beside the edge of the world. I'm not a small person myself, but next to those huge waves, even I felt small. She was tiny all on her own, but the extent of what was laid out before us made her seem microscopic. A humbling view on humanity, really.
Her tiny feet kicked up light crumbs of sand, watching them soar outward across the surface of the water, smiling as she watched them go. Moving to take another step, a startled look crossed her features. As her eyes turned toward the ground, a curious look spread across her pretty face. I watched as a smile slowly grew as she knelt down and sifted through the sand, digging out her buried treasure. She emerged a moment later, holding an ivory, perfectly intact seashell. She face lit up so brilliantly, I thought my heart would explode with all the love I had for her. She turned to me, holding up the shell.
"Look, daddy! Look!" She exclaimed, scurrying over to me. Smiling, I met her halfway to observe her precious find in her little five-year-old fingers. I scooped her up, hugging her close. She grinned as she ran her hands over the shell. "It's real pretty, daddy! See?"
I held my baby in my arms and began to carry her back toward the car, knowing that if she wasn't satisfied with leaving so soon, I could easily convince her otherwise: what little girl could resist giving her newfound seashell a bath? I chuckled softly to myself, imagining what a scene that would be. With my sweet beauty safe in my grasp again, I turned once more to glance at the ocean. It was amazing, but nothing compared to her… my one true love.