I was tying my hair back out of the way, using my fingers as a comb to tame it. We'd been on the road a few weeks, quickly learning the campervan shower was good for a two minute daily wash but couldn't hold enough water for all of us to have ten minute showers. And it had been a few days since we'd had a proper place to wash, paying to stay in a camping ground every few days so we could refresh. My hair had hardened a little with salt from all the ocean swims we'd had the last week and desperately needed a wash, so I was tying it out the way until we could head into town to find a shower later today.

As I dropped my hands, I turned to see Tae was leaning back against the kitchen counter, watching with a cute expression on his face. "What's up," I asked as his hand came up to my face.

"Just some bumps in your hair, it's cute," he answered, reaching up to smooth them down. Frowning, I flipped open the bathroom door and stepped in to check out the mirror. More than a few bumps, my hair looked crazy and I took it out of the hairtie, using the mirror this time to try and fix it. When it was good enough or at least better than it was, I came out of the bathroom, pulling a face at Tae.

"Would you have actually let me go out looking like that?"

"Would I let you? You are your own person Marley."

"Well, yes I am, thank you Tae but seriously, tell me if I look like that again."

"But I did think it was cute!"

"You would never go out with your hair messy like that," I said pointedly.

"I've gotten better about not worrying though, right?"

That was true. Without cameras following him everywhere daily, the makeup was gone, his bare face beautiful in it's natural honey colour. And he didn't check the mirror constantly in case he was snapped looking anything less than perfect. I was loving that he could relax and just be himself. But he still would not have gone out looking like the mess I had been in a few minutes ago.

"Baby, I'll tell you next time," he said, wrapping me in his arms as he kissed against my frown.

"Thank you jagi. Now, shall we head into town?"

"Will there be a mall there? I want to grab a few things if you think people won't really recognise me."

I started laughing and now it was his turn to frown. "What?"

"I forget that our version of town here in New Zealand and your version of town are two very different things. There are probably only a few thousand people living in this town so definitely no mall, we'll be lucky if there is a mini supermarket. The nearest mall is probably about 4 hours away, in the next city."

"Wow, I always forget that about being here. My things can wait."

"What did you need?"

He blushed a little and I was now very interested. "Ummmmm, just some things because of last week."

"Last week?" I was confused, trying to remember what we did last week that he might need to go to the mall.

"I ah, I was thinking about what you said and am going to get some things to keep us busy each month." He looked away, a little embarrassed.

"Each month?" And then I put it all together in my head and gaped. "Do you mean when I have my period?"

He nodded, cheeks blazing. He was possibly blushing the most I had ever seen him and now I was very, very curious. "OK Tae, now you need to spill."

"Spill?" I don't know if he didn't know the word or was procrastinating to give himself time to recover.

"Yes oppa, what has got you looking like that?"

He glanced at Sophia, happily sitting on our bed, playing with a small collection of minature animals, her latest favourite things. Lowering his voice, he leaned in close. "Toys," he whispered.

I was still thinking of Sophia when he said that, looking at her animals and thinking of her toys when I inhaled sharply, connecting in my head what he was meaning.

"Oh, right, well, ummmmm...," I stuttered out, my cheeks joining his with a pink tinge.

"We don't have to," he said, not looking at me as he spoke.

"I'm not against it, I'm just interested in what you had in mind."

"Are you going to make me say it instead of being a surprise?"

"Yes, then I know what shops we're heading for. Or at least you, I'm staying away with Sophia. Or actually, you possibly shouldn't be seen in a shop like that. Hmmmmm, dilemma."

"Dilemma? More words I don't know today." Now I knew he was trying to distract me from the subject at hand.

"A dilemma is a hard decision to make. Maybe if we talked about it, we could shop online and pick up from a store on the way past so I only have to go in briefly?"

"Oh, I like that idea," he said breathing out. "The picking up without having to actually shop part. Although choosing together could be fun too," his cheeks still pink but a mischievious look on his face now and his eyebrow raised in a look I was very familiar with.

"OK Tae, is that the only thing you wanted to go into town for?"

"Yes, it was. We have food for the next few days."

"We do, so are we just relaxing here instead then and just head into town later for a shower?"

"Sure. You wanted to try some yoga? That sounds relaxing."

I looked at him suspiciously. "Out of the blue?"

"What do you mean," he asked innocently.

"Hmmmm, don't give me that look, you have a reason I'm sure. But you're right, I saw some video clips I wanted to try. We could lay the towels out on the grass under the trees, Sophia would probably join in too."

"BugBug, do you want to do some exercise?"

"No TaeTae," she answered, engrossed in her game.

I laughed. "You still have a lot to learn baby," I said, turning to Sophia. "Sophia Bug, do you want to dance?"

She tossed her toys on the bed and jumped down. "Sophia loves to dance," she giggled and spun around a few times.

"You have to speak her language my love," I said, leaning in and brushing my lips across his. He pulled me in, holding my back to bring me close.

"Good thing I speak our language at least," he said against my mouth and his tongue swept my lips as Sophia pushed between us.

"We dance mama?"

"Sort of baby," I answered, reaching into the cupboard for some beach towels, climbing down from the van and laying them on the grass. The trees would keep us cool although the sun was high above us, the smell of the nearby beach drifting on the breeze.

Tae climbed down after me and lifted Sophia down to the ground while I was scrolling my phone looking for the moves I wanted to copy. And when I turned back, Tae was in the middle of rearranging the towels. When I looked at him, he continued smoothing them out. "They're more away from the sun now," he commented and I nodded, distracted by the videos on my phone as I placed it on the ground and stepped back to the towel that was empty.

"Are you going to copy mummy," I said, turning to Sophia who was next to me.

"Mmmmhmmmmm," she answered as I leaned over into a stretch and she cutely followed me, touching the ground. I turned to see if Tae was copying and then realised why he had rearranged the towel, a smirk on his face as he took in my form from behind, bent over at the waist.

His eyes lit up as mine found his face and he held my gaze. "You're very flexible," he said, blinking slowly, eyes dark.

"You knew that already though Tae," I answered, stomach fizzing at the look in his eyes.

"Yes I do, I really do and I very much enjoy that," he replied, bending over to stretch his back, tucking his expression away as I turned back to the front. I was grinning as I stepped my leg out and elongated my body to stretch to the side. That look was familiar to me and I knew, we were in for a fun night later. After some very interesting internet shopping.