The fresh ocean air blew Laura's hair around her in a tornado like dance, she had a smile on her face as she raised her head, with closed eyes to the streaming sun. Her white unbuttoned shirt billowed with the wind behind it, her feet had sunk into the wet sand as the pale blue water trickled in between her toes. She looked happy, for the first time since they moved to Paris, Laura had a real, true and honest smile on her face.

D'artganan looked round to find, the twins rolling around in the sand with Porthos. Porthos's black hair was covered in golden grains of sand, and the twins had wet hair plastered to their foreheads and a faint tan was starting to appear on their arms and legs. Athos was sitting in his beach chair reading a book, his hat slightly bowed to shade his eyes from the sun, legs crossed, he looked content. Aramis was swimming in the blue sea and every now and then if d'art squinted hard enough a brown blob would appear from under the waves.

Laura looked round to find d'art gazing around, smiling she skipped over to him, and wrapped her arms around his neck. In response d'art picked up her legs and wrapped them securely around his waist, he then pulled her close and kissed her hard. The kiss was full of passion and love and when they pulled apart he started to run towards the sea. Realising what was happening Laura started to scream and pull away from him, "no don't, oh my god, please don't, I'll get wet" she screamed. D'art just started to laugh and then when he was knee deep in the water, he dropped Laura.

She landed with a splash, as the cold water seeped into her eyes and nose, she kicked hard and reached the surface, smacking her hands on the water surface, she grabbed d'art and dunked his head into the water, she watched as his hair floated around wildly and as his hands came up and smacked the surface of the water, this was shortly followed by his head and when their eyes locked, a childish smile appeared on his face.

Porthos, Aramis and Athos, watched D'Artagnan run towards the sea with a squealing Laura in his arms, they couldn't help but smile as she begged him to stop, when he dropped her into the water, Aramis said " I want to be loved like that one day, to have that trust and fondness for someone, to love with all that passion and commitment, that's what I want"

Athos smiled at that and patted Aramis on the shoulder.

"One day my friend we will all have a love like that, one that cannot be broken" Athos said, he then turned and walked back towards his chair and proceeded to continue reading his book.

Suddenly Gabe and Alex came running up to Porthos and Aramis, and each boy chose to wrap their legs and arms around the legs of Porthos and Aramis.

"God they're like koalas" Aramis exclaimed as he stumbled around and eventually fell to the ground in a tangle of legs and arms, with a giggling and squirming child in his arms.

Porthos smiled and gently untangled Alex from his legs and heaved the boy up onto his shoulders.

"Shall we fly Alex" Porthos asked and the boy nodded in reply.

At this Porthos started to run wildly around the beach, and above him Alex waved his small arms around and squeaked in delight.

Laura turned around at the small high pitched squeal and to her relief she found that Alex was squealing in delight and not fear. She smiled at the sight of Porthos and Aramis playing with her sons: All the men had been a great help with the boys since d'art had got this job. Despite the dangers it held, they always managed to come home safe and sound, with tired smiles and weary limbs. They would always be on hand to pick the boys up from nursery or take them swimming if something cropped up at the hospital where she worked, which something always did. Being a consultant Neurologist there was always something that needed her attention or expertise. And so she was always confident in calling Aramis or Porthos to help her out now and then. Laura was so grateful that these men had entered her and D'art's life.

Laura was pulled out of her thoughts by D'art who was asking if anyone wanted an ice cream, the twins squealed at that and came running up to her and D'art pleading for ice cream. D'art agreed and then started to walk off in the direction of the ice cream shop, when he was far in the distance Laura turned around to her two boys. "Now who wants to build some sandcastles eh?" She asked, grabbing two buckets and two spades, she plonked herself down on the soft sand and started to dig a hole.

—-

As D'Artagnan waited in the queue for ice cream, he admired the brown curls of the woman in front of him, she smelt of rose and it reminded him of a girl he used to date back when he was at college. She smelt of rose and had vibrant ginger curls and bright green eyes, her name was Constance.

They'd met when he had accidentally thrown up on her dress at a party, which was not his finest hour he had to admit. Constance had taken it surprisingly well and had offered to walk him to his dorm, in which his roommate Dylan was studying in. Constance had basically carried him back to his dorm, whereupon Dylan had thanked her and promptly sent d'art to bed. Unbeknownst to D'art, Constance has slipped her phone number into his jean pocket.

The following morning Constance met him in the college park and they had basically gone from there. They were together all the way through college and all the way up to graduation, whereupon D'art told her that he was going to join the army, Constance had not taken it well and she had hit him and cried at him until she told him she didn't want to be together anymore, and that she'd only be with him unless he quit the army. So that day D'art had walked home, alone for the first time in three years; he still remembers the rain hitting his face and soaking his clothes all the way home, until he fell into bed trainers and all.

D'Artagnan was taken out of his thoughts by the ice cream man asking him what flavours he would like, "err two chocolate single scoops in tubs please" he said, the man just smiled at him and gave him the two tubs. D'art thanked him and gave him the money, telling him to keep the change.

As he turned around, a voice said. "I thought I recognised you, the same hair style and politeness".

Turning in the direction the voice came, D'art met the face from all those years ago. Constance. She seemed taller and slimmer, she'd dyed her curls brown and it suited her, it just emphasised the green of her eyes. She still had the heart warming smile she'd always had.

"Oh wow, Constance, wow, err, how are you?" He stuttered.

She smiled and laughed a bit, "I'm really good thanks, how are you, I mean I haven't seen you since we broke up".

"Really has it been that long, well I'm good, I was in the army for two tours so four years, in that time I've got married and I have two kids" he replied.

D'art swore he could see some sadness in those green eyes when she said " oh wow that's amazing, I mean you're quite young for marriage and kids"

He laughed at that, "yeah well when you're in the army I suppose you want to make the most of life, never know what's gonna happen, anyway I best go otherwise the twins will think I've eaten they're food. But it's been really nice to see you" d'art said.

Constance smiled " yeah you too" she then ripped up her receipt and scribbled some digits on it, "err here, if you wanna meet up some time for a proper catch up, that's my number" she said, and then quickly walked off, got in her car and drove off.

Deciding that if he was gone any longer, Laura would come marching up here herself, D'art shoved the paper in his back pocket, making a mental note to text Constance later and jogged down the sand dunes and onto the flat beach, whereupon two very sandy boys came running up to him shouting ice cream.

When Constance got home, she dumped her bag on the hallway chair, marched straight into the kitchen, poured herself a huge glass of wine, walked into the lounge, where she opened the balcony doors, to her view of the Eiffel Tower, put her favourite record on and stood on her balcony swaying to the sweet voice of Lana del ray and sipped her wine.

Constance stood on that balcony for a good two hours, wishing she had not let D'art go that day at graduation. She wished she was the Mrs D'Artagnan, with the two children and the probably fancy house somewhere near the beach. She regretted that day for so many years, all the years she dated other men, all they years she sat in her office, starting her fashion business, she wished she had D'art by her side.

Instead she has Mark, who is the nicest man to be with if you want to go walking round Paris drinking wine and visiting fashion shows. But Constance had come to realise that in the past few years, she had wanted to snuggle up on the sofa and watch a romantic movie and not walk round Paris all night long, listening to students throw up and watching people propose day after day, perhaps she was turning into a grumpy Parisian.

Constance glanced at her watch, it was midnight. So she closed the doors to her balcony, put the glass of wine on the mahogany table and made her way to bed, she opened her closet dumped her clothes on a random shelf, and slid into bed naked.

She didn't care, usually Mark, was working on the weekends in New York so she had the apartment to herself, and even if he wasn't he'd seen her naked so many times that she didn't care either way. That night Constance fell asleep to the sweet lull of Lana del Ray.

—-

They got home late, eleven o clock to be precise. When they had finally dropped off Aramis and Porthos at their flat and Athos at his house, got home they're selves and put the twins to bed and packed all the paraphernalia that came with going to the beach, it was gone midnight.

Laura slid, into bed in nothing but her bra and knickers, her hair in a plait, D'art did the same minus the plait and bra, just in his boxers and they both fell asleep cuddling each other.

But at half past two in the morning, D'art woke up. Trying not to wake Laura, he quietly entered the closet and tried to find his jeans, but after thirty seconds of blindly patting the floor with his hands, he decided to chance it and turn the light on, hoping not to wake his wife, d'art finally found the said jeans, and picked out the receipt with Constance's number on. Swearing because he'd left his phone on charge next to Laura's side of the bed, D'art decided to go downstairs and do it on the IPad.

Having successfully gotten downstairs without waking the kids or Laura up, d'art sat at the kitchen island, typing in Constance's number. He just couldn't believe it was her.

He'd often wondered what it had been like if she had not broken up with him that day and they'd stayed together, but then D'art never would've met Laura and never would've had Gabe and Alex and he didn't think his life would be possible without those three people in his life; So D'art put that thought out of his mind and texted Constance to say it was nice meeting her today and that he'd like to meet up some time in the future.

He only realised it was three o clock in the morning after he'd sent the damn message. Swearing again, he put the piece of paper in the bin and placed the IPad away. He then crept back upstairs and slid back into bed, setting his alarm for half seven. D'art fell asleep that morning to the thoughts of the woman only three blocks away from him.

To be continued

authors note

i would just like to say a huge than you to those who read this story xx