A/N: this chapter takes place many years in the future. The words I used were daylight. nostalgia, and possessed (although I fudged a bit and used possession, instead). The holiday is the Summer Solstice, which is on June 21 in North America.

Sitting on a beach towel on a sunny day, Christine Booth-Hodgins smiled as she looked out over the sparkling blue-green water that lapped the edge of the ocean's shore. Digging her toes in the soft sand, she sighed contentedly. It was the Summer Solstice, and her family was enjoying a day at the beach.

A feeling of nostalgia washed over her as she remembered past trips to the beach with her parents. If the truth were told, she wasn't always thrilled about giving up something she considered important just to go on a silly family outing…

Oooooooooo

"C'mon, kids! Chop, chop! We're burning daylight!" Booth stood by the open tailgate of his SUV, trying to load all of the things he thought they might need for a day at the beach. "If we don't leave soon, we won't be able to get a good spot!"

"Daddy…," thirteen year old Christine whined. "It's seven o'clock in the morning! Why do we have to leave so early? The beach will still be there even if we leave later…"

"I know…" Booth grinned as he lifted a large cooler into the trunk. "But it's about a two hour drive to Rehoboth Beach, okay? I want to get there early so we can stay long enough to make the trip worthwhile, and anyway, I want to be sure we get a place close to the water. C'mon…get a move on, Sweetheart. We need to get going…"

"I don't even wanna go to any stupid beach…," the teenager grumbled, planting her hands on her hips and rolling her eyes at her father. "I was planning to go shopping and to the movies with Jade and Mollie today, and I've looked forward to that all week! It was gonna be so much fun, and now I can't go!"

Booth shrugged as he picked up a beach chair. "Maybe you should've checked with your mom before you made plans with your friends. Besides, we discussed this trip a few weeks ago and you were all for it. You've always enjoyed our trips to the beach before, right? This is how we've always celebrated the first day of summer…"

"Well, I changed my mind, okay? I hate the beach now! And how come I have to go on this dumb trip with you, anyway? I'm old enough to stay by myself! Besides, the beach is noisy, hot, and smelly, and the sand will get in my hair and my swimsuit and everywhere else…my phone probably won't work while we're there, so I'll be out of touch with my friends…plus, Hank is so annoying to spend time with…and we'll have to eat stupid sandwiches with soggy chips and I'll have to wear nasty, sticky sunscreen…and even then, I'll still get more freckles…like I need any more! I'd rather stay home and be bored in the air conditioning…at least I'd be close to civilization…"

As he arranged their gear in the back of the SUV, Booth tried to be patient with his petulant daughter. "We're taking a trip to spend time together as a family, okay? And since you're part of this family, you need to go with us. That's all there is to it. So…get your stuff together. We're leaving in fifteen minutes."

"As if I'd actually want to spend time with my stupid family! I'd rather hang out with my friends. At least they know how to have fun!"

"Christine…that's enough!" Brennan was bringing out the beach towels when she noticed Booth's pained expression as he listened to his daughter's complaints. Deciding an intervention was necessary, she spoke to the teenager in a quiet but stern voice. "I need you to come into the house with me at once. We need to talk."

"Um…okay."

Sensing that she might be in trouble, the girl meekly followed her mother into the kitchen. "So…um…what's up, Mom?"

Crossing her arms over her chest, Brennan glared at her daughter. "I'm quite disappointed in your attitude towards this family outing. Surely you must realize how important this trip is to your father…"

"I guess so, but, honestly, I don't see why it's such a big deal, okay? It's just a day at the beach."

"Oh…it's so much more than that as far as your father is concerned." Brennan shook her head as she sat down at the counter. "In his way of thinking, this family trip is part of a longstanding Booth family tradition. His grandfather and grandmother always took your father and Uncle Jared for a trip to the beach every year on the Saturday closest to the Summer Solstice. Those trips make up some of your father's happiest childhood memories…memories that became even important after he and Jared moved in with his grandparents. Having very few pleasant memories from his youth, he holds dear those days he spent with his grandparents at the beach, and that's why he thinks this trip is so important…because he wants you to share in that family tradition, too, and, by extension, he wants you to make some happy family memories of your own."

Pausing slightly, Brennan reached over to take her daughter's hand. "You know how much he values family traditions, Christine…and how much he enjoys passing those traditions along to you and your brothers. I think he's hoping that someday you and your own family will be able to continue taking summer trips to the beach, thus creating your own special family memories…memories that are far more valuable than any possessions you could buy on a shopping trip with your friends. These are memories to cherish for a lifetime…memories you'll share with your children and perhaps even your grandchildren. No matter how old you are, you'll always remember how you felt when one of your children plays in the ocean for the first time. Those memories are priceless, and one day, in the distant future, you'll be glad you have them, even if you don't understand why at this moment in time." She sighed quietly. "I'm certain that, at your age, spending time with your family instead of your friends must seem unpalatable, and I know you feel as if your parents are being quite unreasonable in regards to this trip. Trust me, though…someday when your father and I are gone, you'll wish you had more time to make memories with us, just like I wish I'd had more time to make memories with my parents."

Rising from her stool, Brennan nodded resolutely. "The point is this…your father believes that creating such memories as a family is a worthwhile way to pass the time, and, anthropologically speaking, he is correct. Shared clan and tribal memories of this sort make the familial unit more cohesive, and thus, it tends to have more success in surviving through the years. The memories also serve as a cultural touchstone, preserving our family's past as we move together towards the future. Therefore, you need to rein in your poor attitude and endeavor to be pleasant and compliant for the remainder of the day. Because this trip is so important to your father, you will show him the proper respect and concern for his feelings while we're at the beach. Otherwise, you will experience undesirable consequences, such as being grounded or losing your phone privileges. You're an intelligent young woman. I'm sure you understand what is expected of you…"

Recognizing the 'I mean business' look in her mother's eyes, Christine could only nod in agreement. "Yeah…I get it…"

"Excellent. Now…go get in the car…and remember…pleasant and compliant…"

Rolling her eyes, the girl stuck out her chin defiantly. "Fine…I'll behave the way I should…but I promise you this, Mom…I definitely won't have any fun!"

Following Christine out to the car, Brennan couldn't help but smile. "Oh well…I suppose we can't have everything…"

Ooooooooo

Chuckling to herself as she remembered that Summer Solstice forty years ago, Christine shook her head. As much as she'd tried not to have fun, in her mind's eye she could still see the huge sand castle she'd built with her 'annoying' little brother…she could still see the blue pail that was full of the brightly colored shells they'd found…she could still hear her mother's happy laughter as they all played in the warm water…she could still taste the peanut butter sandwiches and the soft drinks…she could still remember the sounds of the boardwalk as they walked along it that warm summer evening, enjoying their ice cream cones in the carnival-like atmosphere…and then she'd drifted off to sleep on the way home while listening to her dad singing with the oldies station as it blared from the SUV's radio…

Whether she wanted to admit it or not, it had been a wonderful day, full of fun and laughter, and her parents were right…after all these years, she still cherished those happy family memories.

A peal of raucous laughter brought her back from her reverie. Her husband and children were enjoying a day at the beach as a way to acknowledge the Summer Solstice. Her oldest son, Seeley, had even brought along his girlfriend to join in the fun. As she watched the two of them splashing each other at the water's edge, Christine smiled in satisfaction, knowing that someday her grandchildren would celebrate the first day of summer at the beach as well, just as their family members before them had.

Smiling to herself, she stood up and gathered her belongings. It was time to fix lunch for her elderly parents. Shielding her eyes from the bright sunlight, she gazed up to the balcony adjoining the beachfront condominium that was their summer home. Seeing them sitting out there, taking in the view, she waved, and they waved back. At this point in their lives, that was the best place for them to enjoy the ocean in the heat of the day, but she knew that her mom and dad would want to come down in the evening to see the beach for themselves, just to make sure everything was as it should be, before joining the rest of the family for an ice cream cone and a leisurely stroll along the boardwalk

After all, they had to make sure the Booth family tradition was still being carried on for the generations to come.

If you'd like to read a chapter about Booth's memories of being at the beach with his grandparents, check out chapter 3 of my story called Summer's End.

This story will be on a brief hiatus while I recover from minor surgery on my hand, but I plan to write more chapters soon. Thanks for reading. Laura.