“Well I can’t promise that they will, but I know we won’t be swimming alone today. I hope you don’t mind, but there’s a friend of mine that wants to meet you, so she’s spending the day with us. She’s really nice and I know you’ll like her.”

The little boy frowned for a second, unsure about how he felt sharing Spencer with anyone. In the end he gave a small nod in agreement.

“If you think I’d like her than that’s okay I guess. Does she like dolphins? It would be okay if she did, we could look for them together I suppose.”

He gave another serious frown as he pondered this. If she was nice like Spencer said and if she liked dolphins he would forgive Spencer for inviting her. New people made him very nervous and his Aunt Spencer knew this, so he guessed it would be okay. Only he hoped she was not as scary as Spencer’s friend Madison, she was terrifying and he usually avoided her at all costs.

“So who is this friend my kids going to be hanging out with if you don’t mind me asking.”

Spencer turned towards Chelsey.

“Oh, it’s just Ash.”

Chelsey gave her a knowing leer.

“Oh, just Ash. Well, that should be fun.”

She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and Spencer rolled her eyes. She had told Chelsey about the conversation she had had with Ashley over the phone the previous day and had not been surprised when Chelsey approved of their renewed friendship. Spencer kind of got the idea she was disappointed when she realized it was currently just friendship and nothing more. Chelsey had always been on team Ashley in her opinion.

She was pulled from her staring match with a smirking Chelsey by Clay’s hand tugging her towards the car. She smiled once more at Chelsey.

“I’ll have him back before dinner.”

The ride back to her beach house was filled with Clay’s usual banter and questions about everything and everyone. He was constantly searching for answers, searching for understanding of things that most seventeen year olds would not have cared about. It was one of the many things she loved about the old soul that was her nephew.

By the time she pulled up in the driveway she could spot Ashley already waiting for them on her front steps. She was dressed casually in shorts and a blue tank top that looked to be a size or two too small. She had a big smile on her face and a beach bag in her hand. Spencer thought she looked like a big kid waiting for her parents to take her to the beach for the first time.