England
August, 1930
"Daddy! Do you see it?"
"I do! Quick! Put it into the pail."
"Will it pinch me?"
"Not if you pick him up by his shell. Like this, see?" Fox lifted the small crab off the sand and showed his son, James, how easy it was, smiling at him as he held it.
"He's very small," James said, his blue-green eyes wide as he looked closer.
"He is, but only because his shell is large and most of his body is inside. I think if he came out of his shell, he would be much bigger."
"Why doesn't he come out?" James asked as he looked at his father. "Daddy, if I said please, do you think he would?"
"No, my boy," Fox chuckled, setting the crab in the pail, stroking James's dark auburn hair, and kissing his forehead. "Animals don't work that way, especially wild ones. We may want them to, but we simply need to treat them kindly. We look at them and then return them to their homes, right?"
"Yes, Daddy. I'm going to look for seashells for Mimi and Mummy."
"Which will you be bringing to them, whichever ones you find?"
"No. Mimi needs big ones to hold or she might eat them and choke like Max," James stated quite matter of factly for a chap of nearly five. Fox nodded, remembering the fear in James's eyes as their dog had choked on a chicken bone, retching until it came out.
"I give Mummy the white shells. She likes those best. And the shiny ones, too. When I gave them to her last time, she hugged me extra tight. Daddy, I think that Mummy gives the very best hugs." He smiled at his father and Fox smiled back, his attention then diverted by Dana as she left their small hut and walked onto the beach.
"That she does, my son," he said softly. "You go and find those shells for Mummy. Put that crab back first if you're done examining him and don't forget your spade."
"Yes, Daddy. You're sure he won't pinch me?"
"Pick him up as I showed you and he won't." He waited until the crab had been placed back onto the sand, James grinning up at him happily at his accomplishment, before he stood up, brushing off the sand covering his knees and shins.
Rubbing his leg, he limped only slightly as he walked over to Dana who was standing beside the many lounge chairs placed under the large umbrellas to block out the warm summer sun.
Her back was to him and she was swaying slightly, singing softly to Katherine, whom she held in her arms. Smiling as he watched her, the wind blowing her hair and the long white dress she wore, he shook his head, thinking of how much he loved her. She turned around and smiled at him, still swaying, Katherine sleeping with her mouth open.
"Let me take her. You shouldn't be carrying her." He tried to take her and Dana shook her head, looking down at her sleeping daughter.
"Nonsense. I carried James at this age when I was pregnant with her. It won't hurt me."
"Yes. But, my love," he said with a chuckle, placing his hands on her very round belly. "You're nearly ready to introduce us to this one. I don't want you exerting yourself."
"And ruining this beautiful day?" she teased, tilting her head back and smiling.
"No. I just want you safe." He looked into her eyes, conveying his worry.
Katherine had arrived earlier than expected, requiring a lengthy stay in the hospital for both of them. Dana had been tired and weak, and Katherine had needed to gain weight and strength. It had been a trying time for all and not one he wished to repeat.
"I'm past the mark when she was born, there is no fear of a repeat of that happening. Please don't fret about it."
"Asking me not to worry about you? An impossible task." She smiled again and he bent his head to kiss her gently, sliding his hands under Katherine, easily taking her sleep heavy body from Dana's arms. He smiled as he pulled back and she placed her hands on her round belly with a shake of her head.
"Sneaky," she whispered, smiling slowly.
"Indeed," he whispered back, now swaying as Katherine sighed in her sleep.
"Mummy! Mummy, I found some shells for you !" James called as he ran up to her.
"Did you, my love?" she asked, squatting carefully to see the items in his pail.
"Dana… sit, please," Fox said softly, bending to take her elbow and pull her up gently. She came willingly and sat in a chair, exclaiming over the shells James had found.
Fox smiled as he watched them, still swaying slowly. He looked down at Katherine, her cheeks pink and her dark hair blowing faintly in the breeze. Though they were closed, he thought of the deep blue of her eyes and how they seemed to look at and through everything in her gaze. She was always watching, absorbing the world with eyes of wonder in the way that only a small child of two could do.
Bending his head, he brushed a kiss across her forehead, humming softly as he held her close. Walking into their hut, he placed her in the cot they kept for their visits to the beach. Leaving her uncovered, the open doors bringing in a cool summer breeze, he walked out, knowing she would sleep for a while.
"I have some shells for Mimi too, but she's sleeping so I can give them to her later," James said, looking over at the hut.
Fox smiled as he watched him, using once again the name he had bestowed upon her when he was two and a half years old and Katherine was too difficult to pronounce. Why Mimi, they did not know, but that was her name to the small lad who doted on her, greeting her with a kiss each morning.
"Yes, you can give them to her later. Will you go see if you can find more? Perhaps there are some hidden treasures near those rocks," Fox told him, pointing to the right, and James hurriedly picked up his pail and spade, running over eagerly.
"What did you do?" Dana asked, rubbing her belly and smiling at him.
"I don't know to what you're referring," he said, feigning ignorance and she chuckled.
A car was heard driving close to them and then quiet from the engine, laughter and chatter taking the place of the sound. Doors were closed and then from around the tall grass around the beach, his parents and hers, who had come for the summer and the arrival of the baby, came carrying picnic baskets.
They greeted one another warmly, though they had seen them only a few hours ago. The men quietly took out the take apart table his father had constructed for picnics and kept in the hut. Working together, they had it done in no time and placed it on the sand, their mothers then setting the table, Dana told to stay seated and resting.
When the meal was ready, James was called over, his pail full of the promised treasures, and he was anxious to share them. Fox's mother, now known mostly to everyone as Grandmother, exclaimed over them all, looking at Fox affectionately, knowing he had played a part, placing them where James would find them.
Dana's mother, Grandma, was given a beautiful white shell that brought tears to her eyes, telling a story of Dana giving her a similar one years ago, which sat on her shelf to this day. This one would join it and be its mate.
Fox looked at Dana as plates began to be filled, everyone laughing and talking over one another. He wondered if she was thinking of the many nights they had spent at a dig site in Egypt, each meal eaten out of doors, the days hot and the nights warm. He wondered if she was remembering the stories shared, the laughter when they'd all had too much wine.
He placed a hand on her belly under the table and she smiled softly at him, covering his hand with her own.
"If this child is a girl," she said quietly, her words for him alone to hear. "Should we name her Bestat?" He chuckled, squeezing her hand gently and shaking his head, his point proven that she had been thinking similarly to him.
"I'm more partial to Elizabeth."
"Rather commonplace, but I suppose it will do," she teased and the baby moved under his hand as he leaned in to kiss her.
"Oh, see? She agrees. She likes it."
"Hmm. Or she just needed to stretch her legs."
"No. She likes that name and she was letting us know. It has been decided." His kiss was the punctuation mark on the subject and she laughed against his mouth, pulling back with a shake of her head.
A plate was handed to each of them, thanks given as James engaged them all with the story of his day since they had seen him at breakfast.
"Of course it could be another boy," Dana murmured, looking at him with laughing eyes.
"Don't you dare suggest Ra," he said with a look of faux horror, knowing she never would, but unable to resist returning her previous jest. She laughed loudly, James stopping his story to look at her, foregoing his food to come to her with a smile, wrapping his small arms around her and laying his head on her chest.
"We can discuss the name later," she teased, kissing the top of James's head, closing her eyes as she held him.
Fox shook his head, rubbing his son's back, and smiling at the woman he loved more than any other, sending up his thanks to the gods and goddesses for placing her into his life, right when he had needed her most.