Photo by Alexandre Weiss from Pexels

Waves break on the shore and snap me from my daydream. My soon-to-be stepson pops his head up above the ocean and waves. I smile and wave back to Ryan from the beach towel where I’ve been reading and tanning.

His hair is plastered against his forehead by the waves lapping at his shoulders as he treads water like some sort of sea god. His body glistens like oil under the sun, and I’m mesmerized by its reflection on his face before he submerges once again.