Katie's POV: When we get to the beach, Ashley tells me to wait in the car for a moment, then walks over to my side, and opens my door for me. I get out then, and he begins pulling out the cooler, blanket, and towels, then grabs the boards from on top of the car.
I pull the cooler behind me, using the handle to roll it across the parking lot, and sling the blanket and towels over my arm. Once on the beach though, I notice we're pretty much alone, aside from one small group on the far side of the beach, by the pier.
Ashley leads me to the other side of the beach, and we quickly pick a spot fairly close to the water. He sets the boards down, then helps me spread out the blanket and set our little spot up.
After we're done, Ashley takes his shirt off, then waits for me to follow his lead, but I'm scared to death to show my scars, and it's not like my swimsuit is going to hide too many of them. He walks over to me, then smiles at me sadly, and gently grabs the hem of my shirt.
I allow him to pull it up over my head, but keep my eyes closed so I can't see his reaction to my scars. This will be the first time he's actually seen my scars in the light, so I hold my breath, waiting for his reaction.
When nothing comes, I peek my eyes open, and see him looking at them with compassion in his brown eyes. What the hell?
He shakes himself out of his thoughts, then unbuttons my pants, and helps me step out of them. When I'm in nothing but my swimsuit, he wraps his arms around me, gently skimming the scars on my hips, and asked, "Is this why you wouldn't get undressed?"
I nod, and he pulls me close to tell me how beautiful I am, then passes me the longer of the two boards and says in a brighter tone, "You ready?"
I smile up at him, then nod happily and we head for the water. He teaches me how to paddle out, though I already know the basics of surfing. My dad tried to teach me at one point, when I was about 6 years old, but I was too afraid back then, and couldn't do it.
He shows me what to do as the first wave comes forth, then he rides it, and paddles back out to me. He smiles, then asked, "Think you got it?"
I think for a moment, looking out at the waves, then nod, and say, "Got it."
"Alright, then show me what you can do. Don't try this wave coming up, but go for the next one," he instructs, then I nod and let that wave pass.
I do what he did on the next one, and ride it for about 10 second before falling into the water, and when I reserface, Ashley's already there, helping me from the water, back onto my board, as I giggle.
He helps me find my center of gravity on the board, then I try a few more times, before I get it right. Ashley smiles widely at me, then says, "That was beautiful!"
"Thanks. I have an amazing teacher," I tell him, as we paddle back to set up our bonfire.
"I got this," I tell him, as I gather up the wood and kindling for the fire, and he nods, then gets out the hotdogs and mashmellows from the cooler.
A few moments pass, and I finally have a fire started, when a little boy and girl come out of nowhere, up to me. I smile at them, then ask, "Where's your parents, sweethearts?"
"Our dad's over there," the little girl tells me, pointing to the other group on the other side of the beach, "And our mom's up there," she adds, pointing to the sky.
My heart clenches when I hear this, and then the little boy asked, "Are you an angel?" as he studies my scars.
I'm taken by surprise to hear him ask this, and I shake my head and whisper, "No, honey. I'm not an angel."
"You have to be!" the little girl says, "You have the same scars mommy used to have. She said that only angels have scars like this. She said that they have them because they're afraid of the world they've been put into."
"And when angels are afraid, they get scars. She told us it's God's way of reminding them of the hardship-"
"Andy! Amy! Where are you?!" a mans voice cuts the little boy off.
"Right here, daddy! We're talking to an angel like mommy!" the little girl calls out, waving at the man with blonde hair.
I see him visibly relax as he calls over his shoulder to the group, "I found them!"
"As I was saying though, she told us God gave them scars like this, so they could look at them as a reminder of the pain they went through, so they'll be stronger angels when they return home, like our mommy did," the little boy says, as the man who must be their dad came up behind them.
"I'm so sorry about them," he says to Ashley and me.
"It's fine," Ash says, waving him off.
"It was fun talking to them," I add.
"We told her what mommy used to tell us about angels," the little girl says, looking up at her dad, "Since she didn't know, and she is one herself."
The man looks at her in confusion, and then at me, where I sigh, and show him my arms. He looks shocked for a moment, then nods and says, "Thank you for listening to them, and again, I really am sorry about all this."
"It's really not a problem at all. They're wonderful," I tell him.
He nods again, then says to the kids, "Well, God has plans for these two, so we best not interfer. Let's go sit with our group again."
"Alright, daddy!" they call out together, as they take off for their group.
"You're welcome to join us as well, if you want. If not, we totally understand," he says, then walks back to his group.
Ashley and I look at each other, then he smiles and says, "Let's go."
"No!" I say a little too loud, "Ash, there's something I want to talk to you about. After that, we can go over there, but not before hand. Please."
He looks confused, but nods anyway, returning to sitting beside me. He doesn't take his eyes off me, so I say, "How about you grab the hot dogs while I get dressed really quick?"
He nods again, then turns to the cooler, as I quickly grab my jacket, and throw it on myself. As he sits next to me again, I feel the ring box in my pocket, and grab it out.
I quickly set it between us, then say, "Ashely, you make me feel alive for a nice change in my life. I used to sit in my bedroom at the orphanage for hours listening to Black Veil Brides, watching your videos, just to see you, though at the time I didn't realize that. You're truly everything I could ask for in this crazy mixed up world, and for that I thank you. That's why," I pause bringing the ring into veiw, "as I accepted your promise, I hope you accept mine, to be there when you need me. To be the one I hope to marry. To be the one who loves you unconditionally. I promise, you Ashley, that I will be everything I can be for you and so much more. I will always be faithful to you."
He smiles at me, after the initial shock wears off, then he pulls me close and says, "I love you, and I accept."
Ashley's POV: This was not what I was expecting, at all. I watch as she slides the silver band around the middle finger of my left hand, then she kisses it gently.
She has a new spark in her eyes as she wraps her arms around my neck, and kisses my lips softly. I smile at her again, then she stands up, and pulls me over to the group of people still on the other side of the beach.
"See you guys decided to join, after all," the man who I assumed was the kids father says with a smile.
"Her idea," I say, pointing at Katie, jokingly.
She playfully scoffs, then the two kids from before come running over to us, hugging our legs.
"Grandpa! This is the angel we were telling you about! The one who's just like mommy!" the little girl says, pulling Katie to an older man, who smiles at her.
"I don't know about angel, sweetheart," Katie says softly.
"She means fallen angel," the girls grandfather says, "That's what our family calls people who have scars. I'm Richard, by the way."
"Katie," she says, taking his outstreched hand, and shaking it.
"And you?" he asked me.
"Ashley," I say, extending my hand to him.
"Pleasure to meet both of you," he says kindly, "This is our family. Andy and Amy are my wonderful grandchildren. My son-in-law, Austin is over there. My wife Carolyn, and my daughter Cassie is here," he adds, pointing to each one as he says their names.
"Brandon and Allisa are somewhere around here," Austin says, looking up from his accustic guitar.
"I know where they are!" Andy shouts out, raising his hand, "They were kissing behind those rocks!"
"Leave them be. They'll join us in their own good time," Richard says softly to the young boy, as he looks over at the rocks Andy pointed at, then at Austin, and adds with a chuckle, "They are still newlyweds, after all."
"Alright, grandpa!" Andy says
"Sit with me!" Amy calls out to Katie, making her sit next to Austin, then climbing in her lap.
Katie laughs openly at her, then Austin says, "I think you just made a friend, Katie."
Katie laughs again, then says, "I think you may be right. Thank you again, for the invitation."
"Not a problem," he says with a smile, then begins strumming the guitar again.
I sit next to Katie, where I open my arms to Andy, and he flies into them, making me laugh, and Katie giggle. I wrap my arms around him, and think about my family. I don't have much left, but I do have my cousins and somehow my grandma's still kicking.
When I get home, I'll have to remember to call her if it's not too late. If it is, I'll call her tomorrow.
I watch her with Amy, and can't help the smile that comes onto my face. She's so good with the little girl, and when asked to do her hair the way Katie has her's, she smiles, asked Austin to take her into the water for a moment, which he agrees to.
I watch Katie pull Amy up on her hip, then walk over to the water, where she removes hers and Amy's sweatshirts, then sets them on the beach and picks her up again. Katie walks into the shallows, then sets Amy down again, and helps her lean her head back into the water to get her hair wet.
When they're done, she brings her back over to us, dries her off, then slips her hoodie back on, and dries her hair a bit with the towel. She then has Amy sit back on her lap, and takes half of her bangs in her hands. She begins braiding until she reaches the bottom of her hair.
Katie repeats this action with the other side, then says, "Now, when you wake up tomorrow, make sure not to get your hair wet, because you're going to sleep in this style, then you're going to take it out, but don't brush it. It will create something like this," she then pulls out one of her own braids, and I watch as her layers cascade down in beautiful waves.
"Ohh!" Amy says in amazement.
"Ohh is right kiddo," I tell her, then Katie rolls her eyes at me, and braids her hair back up.
"That's a pretty ring," Amy then says, looking down at my promise ring to Katie.
Katie blushes at the comment, then says, "Thank you, sweetheart. A very special man gave me that ring not too long ago, along with a special promise."
"What's the promise?" she asked, looking up at Katie.
"Amy, she doesn't have to tell you, if she doesn't want to," Austin says, giving his daughter a pointed look.
"No, it's fine," Katie says, waving him off, then tells Amy, "Ashley gave me this ring when he promised to love me forever, and to be there for me through the good and the bad."
"Oh," she says, "Kind of like your promise to mommy when you got married?"
I see pain flash in Austin's eyes, but he quickly recovers, smiles and says, "Yes, Amy. Just like the promise I made mommy when we got married."