#LimlendezPorVida. That is all. Also, hoping we get to see Limlendez and their little family one day.
Four and a half year old Carlos and nine year old Mei-Li ran as fast as their little legs could carry them towards the Pacific Ocean. Neither one of them seemed to care how hot the sand was. It was Memorial Day weekend and so the Lim-Melendez family had taken a trip down to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, which was about an hour from San Jose, "Guys, stop right where you are!" Melendez called.
Mei-Li and Carlos stopped abruptly and turned to face their father, "Ah, come on, Daddy. I want to get in the water," Carlos said.
"And we will, Little Man, but we have to set up the umbrellas and beach towels first," said Melendez.
"Come on, Mommy! Can't you set up any faster?" asked Mei-Li.
"We're getting there, sweetheart," said Lim, spreading out their Mulan and Toy Story beach towels.
Mei-Li turned to Melendez and asked, "Daddy, do you think we'll see any mermaids like Ariel today?"
"Um," Melendez stuttered and glanced over at Lim, to which she chuckled in amusement, "I don't know if we're going to see any mermaids, sweetheart. Mermaids tend to live in the deep ocean and we're only going to be wading in the water. I think Disneyland is a better option for meeting Ariel."
Mei-Li's face fell a little, but she sighed and said, "I did meet Ariel at Disneyland when we went."
"Exactly," said Lim. She stood and grabbed the kids' hands before saying, "Alright, last one in the water has to pay for ice cream tonight!" she ran towards the Pacific with Mei-Li and Carlos, both of them laughing hysterically, leaving Melendez far behind.
"Hey, that's not fair, Aud! You never even gave me a warning," Melendez joked running after them. The water was a little chilly for the end of May, but Mei-Li and Carlos didn't seem to mind as they splashed around in the cool waves. After about twenty minutes had passed, they quickly grew tired of the sting from the saltwater, so the family went back to their spot on the beach and Melendez and Lim helped the kids start to build sandcastles.
As they were shoveling sand into the buckets, Carlos looked over at the boardwalk in the distance. He pointed to a wooden roller coaster and asked, "Mommy, what's that?"
Lim looked over towards where Carlos was pointing and answered, "That's the boardwalk and the amusement park rides."
"No, I mean the roller coaster," explained Carlos.
"That's the Giant Dipper," said Mei-Li, "Me and Mommy are going to ride it later. Right Mommy?" she asked excitedly. Mei-Li had a daredevil streak much like her mother, always climbing trees and wanting to ride the biggest ride she could in an amusement park. She had even asked to take a ride on the Ducati once and Lim had actually considered it until Melendez told her that "it's insane to allow a child to ride a motorcycle and I don't care that there aren't any laws restricting it". Lim had compromised and told Mei-Li, "Maybe when you're older".
"Of course, we're going to do so this afternoon after lunch," Lim smiled happily.
"You should ride with us," Mei-Li told Carlos.
Carlos gained an apprehensive look on his face and asked, "Why?"
"Now mija, Carlos doesn't have to ride any ride he doesn't want to," said Melendez.
"But you, me, and Mommy are riding it," said Mei-Li, "Why not Carlos?"
Melendez and Lim looked at each other. Carlos wasn't quite as brave as Mei-Li on certain things, at least not yet, "Because Carlos isn't as old as you are, and because he's younger, things scare him more easily," said Lim.
"Fine," Mei-Li sighed as she continued to shovel sand in her bubble gum pink pail. After the kids finished their castles—to which Mei-Li claimed she had built a better castle than one a Disney princess would live in—Melendez and Lim took them back to their condo to change for lunch and an afternoon on the boardwalk.
"What did you both want for lunch?" asked Melendez as he led Mei-Li by the hand along the boardwalk while Lim held onto Carlos's hand.
"Can we have pizza?" asked Carlos.
"No, I want chicken tenders," said Mei-Li. Thankfully there was a stand selling pizza and one selling chicken tender baskets not far from each other. Neil and Audrey both ate fish tacos before everyone got ice cream—and in Melendez's case, chocolate-covered bacon as well—for dessert. The family stepped into the amusement park portion and rode a few gentler rides so their stomachs could settle from lunch. Finally, it was time for the Giant Dipper, so Lim and Mei-Li bought their tickets and got in line. Melendez stayed behind to wait with Carlos.
The father and son sat down on a bench near the exit and Melendez looked over at his son, "You know you went on Big Thunder Mountain at Disneyland, remember?"
Carlos nodded, "Yeah."
"Remember how happy you were to rub it in Mei-Li's face?" Melendez joked.
Carlos nodded excitedly, "Yes," Carlos was silent for a few moments before he asked, "Daddy?"
"Yeah, Buddy?"
"How come Mei-Li isn't afraid of anything?"
Melendez sighed, "Well, I wouldn't say that's true. We're all scared of certain things. She still sleeps with a night light in her room and you don't," Melendez commented.
"Yeah," said Carlos, "Do you and Mommy ever get scared, because I don't think Mommy knows how to be scared."
Melendez wasn't going to attempt to explain Audrey's PTSD to his five-year-old, at least not in this situation, but he did respond, "She gets scared sometimes, Little Man. So do I."
"Really?" asked Carlos curiously.
"Mmhm," Melendez nodded, "When Mommy and I got married, we drove away on Mommy's motorcycle. I was very scared to ride on it, but I did it."
"Did you ever do it again?"
"God no. I leave the motorcycle riding to Mommy," chuckled Melendez.
Just then, Mei-Li came running towards Melendez and Carlos and Lim followed behind her, "That. Was. AWESOME!" shouted Mei-Li excitedly.
"I take it she liked it?" Melendez laughed.
"She wants to go again," smiled Lim.
"Can I?" Carlos hesitated, "Can I go too?"
Lim and Melendez glanced at each other and Lim crouched down in front of Carlos, "You don't have to go if you don't want to, hǔ zi."
"I want to, but can I ride with Mei-Li?"
Mei-Li was tall enough that she could ride on her own without a responsible rider, "Do you think you can handle him Tiánxīn?" Lim asked her daughter, "Daddy and I will be right behind you."
Mei-Li nodded eagerly, "Yes! Come on, Simba."
"Don't call me that!" Carlos scolded his older sister.
Melendez and Lim laughed at their children as Lim grabbed Melendez's hand, the two parents following their children onto the ride, "Do you think this is a good idea, Neil?" Lim asked her husband.
"We'll see," he admitted nervously, "But hopefully he's sure of himself."
Carlos ended up loving the Giant Dipper, though he didn't want to go a second time. They all sat down for dinner later that night where Mei-Li and Carlos were content with coloring on their kids' menus, "Hopefully they'll sleep well tonight since we have our drive back to San Jose tomorrow," said Melendez.
Lim smiled and glanced over at her children, Mei-Li helping Carlos color between the lines, "We have good kids. And Mei-Li is such a good big sister."
Melendez glanced up from his menu and said, "This is the same child who once colored on her bedroom walls and also incessantly forces Carlos to dress up as a fairy princess against his will," reminded Melendez, "And Carlos hid Mei-Li's American Girl Dolls on purpose as retaliation."
"I said we have good kids, not angelic kids," joked Lim, "No one is perfect."
"Except for me," Melendez gave her his famous cocky grin.
Lim smiled and laughed, because that smile still got to her every time, but she took his hand and said, "Debatable," she squeezed his hand, "But you're perfect for me."
