A/N: All I can say to you guys is that I'm really really sorry.
So much has been going on, and I'm going away for three weeks in a couple of days, so I'm afraid this will be a lone update. I could feed you all excuses as to why I haven't updated, like I lost a big chunk of the chapter and had to rewrite it, that I had exams, and that I only had half the chapter written until about ten minutes ago, but that wouldn't be fair, so I'm just going to give you guys this terrible chapter and pray you don't all hate me too much.
Chapter 24: The super awesome summer at the beach beach day
By the time they reached the ocean, it was around lunch time, so Kendall and the boys took the van out to buy some lunch, while the girls found somewhere to set up the beach umbrellas and picnic rug. Camille chuckled as Jo set out Lacey's toys on her pink rug under the umbrella, putting a hat and sunscreen on her.
"What?" Jo asked, setting Lacey down and watching as she crawled straight to her dinosaur.
"You're such a mom," Camille teased as Jo took the dinosaur out of Lacey's hands as she tried to put it into her mouth.
"No, honey, you can't eat your dinosaur, we'll have lunch soon." Jo said gently "What are you talking about?" she asked Camille.
"You're such a mom," Camille repeated, and Jo blushed; she wasn't good with kids; they were frustrating and annoying, but there was something about your own children that was an exception; something that clicked within her, the motherly instinct, Kendall called it. Jo had to admit, she had been scared when she heard Lacey was coming along, she had been downright terrified the first night Lacey had come home; she was absolutely certain she'd make a mistake, and that it would be a life or death mistake. She was only 18, she didn't know how to take care of a baby! But as soon as she had her daughter in her arms, she somehow knew exactly what to do, it was automatic. She brushed Lacey's hair from her eyes and putting her floral hat on.
"Look at you!" Stephanie chuckled, "what's it been? Just over a year, and you look like you've been doing this forever!" Lucy nodded in agreement as Jo pulled out the sunscreen and put some onto her hand.
"It's weird," Jo admitted "I didn't think I'd be able to do it, but it just kinda happens, you know?"
"No," Lucy said, smirking, Jo rolled her eyes as she rubbed sunscreen onto Lacey's arms.
The boys returned ten minutes later, carrying boxes full of hamburgers and chips, and before long everyone was finished eating, with the exception of Jo and Kendall, who were still chopping up patties and chips into tiny pieces with plastic cutlery and feeding it to Lacey, their own food untouched.
"Hurry up you two," Logan smirked "or Carlos'll have it,"
"I will not!" Carlos pouted as Kendall placed another bite of chip into Lacey's mouth, and the little girl chewed it, smiling as her father handed her the fork.
"Now, you try," he Kendall said as Jo cut more food. Lacey lifted the fork, placing the food in her mouth and chewing happily, watching her mother stab the food with the fork and doing the same.
"Look at her!" Kendall said excitedly as Jo gasped "Guys, look! She's feeding herself! She's doing it all on her own!" he couldn't help but be excited about his little girl's small achievement, and Lacey smiled proudly at her father, holding the fork and waving it around excitedly, almost hitting Carlos with a chunk of flying hamburger as she did so.
"That's great, man," Carlos said, dodging the flying food as the girls cooed over Lacey. "But you really should eat something," he pointed out, and Kendall rolled his eyes, taking a quick bite of his hamburger and then turning to watch Lacey eat.
After an hour, the girls were sitting under the umbrellas on the picnic rugs, James, Carlos and Logan were having a water fight in the ocean, and Kendall was playing with Lacey, watching as she splashed her hands in the shallow moat that Kendall had dug.
"Watch out for sea monsters little girl!" Kendall called, sneaking up behind Lacey, and grabbing her around the waist, making her shriek and giggle.
"Daddy!" she cried, laughing as Kendall held her up in the air, and she kicked her legs.
"He's so great with her," Camille told Jo as they watched Kendall tickle Lacey, and she shrieked with laughter.
"Yeah," Jo smiled; she had to admit, she had been terrified when she first found out about Lacey, terrified of telling Kendall. Sure, she knew him like the back of her hand, and she knew he'd still love her no matter what, but she also knew he was strong headed and passionate, and she couldn't help the worry that had fluttered around her stomach the day she had told him; that his fear of their young age would get the better of him, or that he just wouldn't be able to take it. Jo remembered that she'd considered getting an abortion before telling him. She shuddered at the thought; she couldn't ever imagine life without Lacey any more. Kendall would never have smiled like he was now, and he wouldn't ever have been as happy. Jo let a smile of her own touch her lips as she watched Kendall play with Lacey.
"What're you thinking about?" Stephanie nudged Jo's elbow playfully.
"Just about what life would have been like if I hadn't had Lacey, " Jo admitted "or if I'd gotten—"
"Don't day it," Kendall said, looking up "don't even think it."
"Nosy," Jo smirked, but Kendall was deadly serious as he wrapped Lacey up in her towel and clutched her to him protectively, as if he was afraid someone would take her from him then and there "I was just saying that –"
"I wouldn't have let you," Kendall told her, shaking his head
"You wouldn't have known," Jo replied, "I'd have done it before, and not told you at all,"
"But you didn't," Kendall said, relaxing slightly.
"Exactly, and I never will, so you don't have to worry." Jo said gently "But I'm worried," she paused "about you."
"Me?" Kendall asked, looking at the other girls, who nodded in agreement.
"Yeah," Jo sighed "you haven't done anything lately, except work and be with Lacey, you need to spend time with the guys, too. I know you love her, and that's great, don't change that, but your friends need you, too. We've given up so much because of her, don't let your friendship with Carlos, James and Logan be something you lose.
"OK," Kendall relented, handing Lacey over gently and taking off his shirt and singlet "if it meant that much to you." Jo smiled,
"It does," she said, stroking Lacey's hair.
"OK," Kendall said again before heading into the water, promptly receiving a spray of water in the face from James, and returning it just as quickly.
"Not the face, man!" James called, smirking.
"Momma?" Lacey asked, gazing up at her mother.
"Yeah, babe?" Jo replied.
"Me too?" Lacey pointed to her father and the boys, who were having a water fight.
"Sorry, honey," Jo shook her head "it's too deep for you, you wanna build a sandcastle?"
"No," Lacey pouted "Daddy!" she pointed to Kendall again, and Jo sighed, turning to the other girls, who shrugged sympathetically.
"How about if mommy and the girls play in the water with you?"
"Yah!" Lacey said, after serious consideration. Lucy, Camille and Stephanie scowled at Jo as they took of their sun dresses and put on sunscreen.
"Oh, come on," Jo said, putting on her sunglasses and adjusting her bikini straps "you can't resist her face," she pouted, and the other girls shook their heads, following her into the water, They stopped just above ankle height, and kneeled down, Lacey standing right beside her mother and grasping her hand tightly.
"Oh, my—" Stephanie gasped "it's cold!"
"You big baby!" Lucy smirked, sending a jet of water at Stephanie, who shrieked, rubbing at her eyes.
"No!" Lacey cried, doing her best to send a small jet of water at Lucy, which sprayed a few feet in front of her "Stephie!"
"I'll get you for that, little lady!" Lucy smirked as she gently set a jet of water in the little girl's direction, and hitting her square in the face. Lacey stood still for a moment, blinking, before she realized that the salt water was hurting her eyes, and she began to cry and rub at them with her fists.
"I'm so sorry Jo!" Lucy stood up and rushed over as Jo attempted to console Lacey, who had begun screaming "You know I wouldn't mean to—"
"I know," Jo smiled slightly, standing up and clutching Lacey in her arms, carrying her to the sand and putting her on her blanket, using tissues to wipe the screaming girl's eyes as she writhed from her mother's grasp. "Shh, honey, you're gonna be OK. I know it hurts baby, but it's OK, mommy'll make you all better, see?" she wiped her daughter's eyes one more time, and Lacey resigned her cries to little whimpers, just as Kendall came galloping out of the water, the other guys following close behind.
"What happened?" Kendall dropped to his knees beside Jo on the mat, spraying water everywhere "I heard screams!"
"It's alright, Lacey just got a little salt water in her eyes," Jo told him.
"Oh, OK," Kendall patted Lacey's head, and watching as she crawled out of Jo's arms to play with her dinosaur "she's perfect now,"
A/N: Wow, that was awful, sorry guys, but now I have to leave and go fail my flute exam! -.- but tomorrow's Sunday, so maybe I can get another update on this and my other stories before I leave on Thursday :)
Thanks for being so patient, guys, I swear I'll update lots more once I get back from my tour :)