Author's Note: Here's the next chapter! Finished chap 4 and 5, wrote chap 6 and 7, and now I'm working on chap 8 all in one night! Hope y'all like it.
July 11, 2004
Disclaimer: I do not own Summerland or any related characters or places.
Your Beautiful Soul
Chapter 7
"So how's your brother?" Jay asked, taking advantage in a break in the conversation.
"He's good—out competing in Hawaii this week. As of this morning, he was tied for first." Maggie told him.
"Awesome! And what have you been up to?" he questioned. "Still into bicycling?"
"Yeah, went out for a ride this morning. Just a short one; only did 57 miles."
"Short?" Bradin choked on his water.
"Yes, 'short', compared to my 60-plus mile rides. I'm doing the STP—the Seattle to Portland—this year and that's like 100 miles a day." She laughed. "Still not up to doing it in one day, but there's always next year."
"You crazy bikers," Jay joked, shaking his head.
"That's me," Maggie grinned. "Oh, we forgot the tea."
She stood from the table and walked to the kitchen. Grabbing a glass pitcher from the counter, she filled it two-thirds full, then dropped in a handful of ice cubes.
"Why didn't you fill it full?" Bradin wondered aloud.
"I was leaving room for the ice…to melt" Maggie realized her stupidity when she got to the word 'ice' and finished the sentence slowly.
She sunk down in her chair and gave herself to silent mirth, and the rest of the table joined in, laughing loudly.
"Well, we can add that to the list of stupid things I've done." Maggie grinned after the laughter died down a little.
"Like that time when you came to see Kyle surf after you'd been through Yellowstone…do you remember that?" Jay asked Maggie.
She nodded, "Yeah, there are two road conditions in Montana, snow and road construction."
"But you marched up to me and said 'Did you know there are two road conditions in Montana? Snow and ice cream!" Jay slapped his thigh. "You had the most sincere expression on your face, too."
"I was seven!" Maggie managed to keep a straight face, despite the people cracking up around her. "And I'd just gotten an ice cream cone."
Bradin grinned at her, quite amused with the entire tale.
"Oh! Oh! Oh—says the boy who runs around in hot pink skirts!"
"And I missed it?" Jay exclaimed, smacking his hands on the table.
"I have pictures!" Derrick spoke up.
"I thought I told you to delete those from the camera," Bradin glared at his little brother.
"I did," Derrick smiled mischievously, "After Johnny helped me download them onto his computer." He quickly ducked to avoid a blow from Bradin.
"Easy," Maggie said quietly under the laughter and gently patted his thigh.
After the laughter quieted down, Susannah announced, "Time for desert! Brazilian cocoa bean cake, right?"
Maggie nodded.
"And ice cream!" Ava held the gallon tub of vanilla ice cream up.
Fifteen minutes later, desert was finished, and as Ava reached for a plate, Johnny stopped her. "Nope, you womenfolk go enjoy the sunset and the evening air, because as a thank you for the time you put in to create this feast, the men are gonna do the dishes!" He was greeted with protests from all the males at the table.
Ava, Susannah, and Maggie found themselves shooed out to the patio, and they sat down in lounge chairs to watch the sunset.
"Do you bike a lot, then?" Susannah asked.
"Yeah, I used to bike with my dad all the time. After he died in 9-11, I didn't do much for a year, but then when I moved in with my brother here in Playa Linda, my best friend encouraged me to take it up again."
"I'm sorry about your dad," Susannah looked over to Maggie.
"It's okay. He was a firefighter and he saved a lot of people before the tower went down. I'm really proud of him." Maggie smiled reassuringly at the older woman.
There was silence again; a warm, comfortable silence. Maggie smiled to herself. It was nice to be surrounded by family again, though they weren't even related to her. She missed the big family reunions from when she was younger: the family, the food, and the fun. All of it was wonderful.
Maggie felt a tear slip down her cheek. Remembering the last time she'd been in such company as this, she felt the longing for her father return in a giant wave.
There had been a giant barbecue on the beach that last family reunion, and she remembered how her father had taken her out to watch the sunset and then how he had shown her the different constallations: the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper, Cassiopeia, the dolphin, the summer triangle.
She was pulled from her memories when she felt a hand touch her shoulder lightly. Looking up to see Bradin, she smiled. The last sliver of sun finally dropped from sight and darkness started to creep slowly, but surely, across the ocean, swallowing up the dying light of the sun.
"Well, I think I'm going to go in and make sure Derrick gets ready for bed," Ava stood.
"And I better go see what kind of mess the guys made in the kitchen," Susannah grinned, following Ava into the house. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," Bradin and Maggie called back together.