Author's Note: I'm not quite sure how I feel about this chapter...

The sun is shining bright and the waves are caressing the shore gently. Mary's setting up the umbrella and Ember is unfolding the chairs. Harry's back at the car and grabbing the cooler because they couldn't carry it on the way up and Ember is too little to carry it herself.

"Mom?"

Mary smiles as she dabs a white dot of sunscreen on Ember's nose, "Yes?"

Ember laughs for a moment before she asks the question that's been on her mind for a while now. "Is Harry going to stay?"

Mary's not really thinking about it as she helps Ember put her sunscreen on her arms, "Of course he is, sweetie. He's the one that invited us to come with him today, silly."

Ember frowns a little because she's trying to ask if he's going to stay in their lives for good and she doesn't really know how to word it. "No, is he going to stay with us for good?"

Mary stops rubbing in the lotion and smiles softly, "I can't say anything for sure because I don't know that yet, but he's given me no reason to think that he won't. And I really like him, sweetie, I don't plan on letting him get away easily."

Ember's silent for a moment and Mary's not really sure what she's thinking because her mind is the one thing that she can't read. "Do you like him? I know that I never asked you, but I want to make sure that you like him because there is the possibility that he might stay. If you don't like him, please tell me because I don't ever want to make you uncomfortable."

She looks at her mother for a long moment before she shakes her head. Ember loves Harry, she's just afraid that he'll leave like her father did and she doesn't want him to leave. "No! I like him, I just don't want him to leave..."

Mary smiles at her daughter because she's positive that things will be different this time. She can't say that she's one hundred percent positive that he won't turn out like Alec, but she's positive that he loves her little girl and that it will take a lot to get him to go away. Hell, the man waited patiently for her for months even though he knew that it might not work out the way that he wanted it to in the end.

"He won't do that to you. He loves you and I won't let him."

She winks and Ember laughs, "Promise?"

Mary sticks out her pinky, her smile growing by the second, "Promise."

Harry takes the moment to wrap his arms around Mary and scare the crap out of her. Ember's seen him walking up for a good minute or two and she's in on it because Harry's fun and it's funny to see her mom freak out every once in a while.

"What is it that we're promising?"

Mary nearly screams and she jumps about an inch or so into the air. Harry and Ember laugh loudly as Mary catches her breath and lightly scolds Harry for nearly giving her a heart attack.

"I don't think that you deserve to know now that you've taken it upon yourself to scare me half to death."

Harry falsely pouts and kisses her cheek, "Sorry, love."

He looks around for a moment and smiles, "I see you two ladies have gotten everything all set up, what's that leave for me?"

Mary playfully rolls her eyes and Ember laughs as she answers, "Sunscreen, silly!"

She finishes up rubbing the white lotion in on her arms while her mother covers her back, shoulders, and the backs of her legs. She let Ember put on her own sunscreen last year because she begged and begged, but at the end of the day she had random patches of sunburn all over. Needless to say, she's happy to accept her mother's help.

While she helps her daughter, Harry shoves the umbrella a little further into the ground and hides the cooler in the shade so that the sun won't find it. Mary's starting with her sunscreen and Ember decides that she should help Harry with his just because she's a little bored and she wants to put a giant white dot on his nose.

He's about to get up and scope out how many people are at the beach already and Ember catches him off guard, poking his nose with her finger and leaving behind an impressive amount of sunscreen. She laughs and runs a good distance away because she knows that he'll catch her and tickle her or pick her up and carry her around while she's upside down.

"You little sneak!"

Ember laughs and hides behind her mother with a smile as bright as the sun, "I don't want you to burn!"

Harry grins, "Thank you, I really appreciate it."

She stays behind her mother for another moment before she decides that he means it and it's not just a trick. "You're welcome!"

Mary smiles at their interaction, she loves how well they get along and how it isn't really awkward like she expected it to be. She's just started to rub the lotion on her shoulders when Harry takes the bottle from her hand with a tilted smile.

She gives him a look and he shrugs his shoulders innocently, "Just trying to help."

She doesn't protest because she can use the help and she really doesn't mind the smile on his lips as he works the lotion into her skin. His hands linger in a few places, but she doesn't mind at all and it isn't like Ember's looking, she's too busy staring at the water and all of the birds. Ember loves being outside and in the sun, and she really loves when her mom takes her to the beach because it's so pretty and warm and she loves the way that the sand feels between her toes.

Mary enjoys it as well, but not as much as Ember. She enjoys the view and the sound of the water as it laps the shore and she really enjoys sitting under the shade and reading a good book with her toes buried in the sand.

Harry, on the other hand, is all about the water and having fun. When his family went to the beach, they always made sure to have a good time and to let their worries float away with the oceanic breeze, even if it was only for a few hours. To him, the beach is a place to bond and to just have fun and that's why he asked Mary and Ember to tag along.

He wants to bond with them a little more and he wants Ember to know what it feels like to be in a family that gets along, even if he isn't exactly her family yet.

Mary switches places with him when he's done and now it's time for the fun to begin. As soon as Mary's done, Harry immediately asks Ember what she wants to do and she immediately says that she wants to be a sand mermaid.

"A sand mermaid? Like, you want to be buried in the sand?"

Ember nods happily, "Yes! Then mom has to do it and then you too!"

He's not particularly interested in getting sand in places where sand should never be, but he wants her to be happy and they'll get in the water anyway, so he agrees. It's not long before Ember's laying in the warm sand and grinning as she wiggles her toes.

Her mother always makes her a sand mermaid when they come to the beach and she loves it to death. Princesses are her most favorite thing from fairytales, but she also really likes mermaids because she really likes the water and she loves to imagine that she lives in the ocean with all of the sea creatures.

She's moving her toes too much though, so Harry and her mom cover every other part of her body first, leaving the tail for last because she'll be calmer by the time they get to it. Ember's grinning from ear to ear as they pack sand around her small body, Mary has no idea how she finds this comfortable because she always feels like the sand is itchy and irritating, but if it makes her happy that's fine with her.

With Harry's help, it only takes about fifteen minutes to get her entire body covered and in the shape of a mermaid. It's a bit of a struggle when they get to her feet because she still wants to wiggle her toes, but eventually she stops moving and lets them finish her mermaid tail.

Mary takes a picture of her, with Harry by her side holding his thumbs up, because it's tradition and she knows that Ember will want one later on. She's next herself and she's really not ready to be covered in warm sand that will get into places that are incredibly uncomfortable, but Ember insists and she does anything that she can to make her happy, especially since her father left.

She knows that she still feels like her father abandoned her, and she's right to feel that way because Alec did abandon her, and she tries her best to make sure that she's happy in any way that she can because she doesn't want her to be upset for the rest of her life.

The sand is incredibly uncomfortable but she still manages to smile because Harry's laughing with Ember as they pack dirt around her and transform her into a mermaid. Ember's talking about how nice the water is and how warm the sand is and Harry's asking her all of these questions like he doesn't know the answer already.

He's so sweet with her and Mary loves how he does things like that because she knows that it makes Ember feel important and that it shows her that he cares about her because he listens to her and treats her like she's his equal even though he's an adult and she's a child.

And Ember loves him to death. She talks to him about everything under the sun and asks him so many questions about things she doesn't know about and things that she's not sure if her mom knows about. She has a lot of friends, but Harry's her best friend even though he's much older.

He and Mary know this, and that's why he comes around so often. He knows that she's still hurting and he wants to help as much as he can because he understands what she's going through and he doesn't want her to feel like she's alone.

Granted, he also really likes spending so much time with Mary, but when it's not a date night of some sort, he's usually interacting with Ember a lot and Mary gets his attention after she's calmed down from their 'play time' and after she's gone to bed.

Mary really doesn't mind though, she's happy just to have him in their lives and he's brightened up everything since he's become a more active part of their little family.

Ember's taken up the responsibility of her tail and Harry and Mary are trying their hardest not to laugh because Harry's left with the responsibility of covering her top half.

"Mom's the prettiest mermaid ever, isn't she?"

Harry smiles as he finishes up the final touches, "She most certainly is."

Ember's the one that takes the picture this time and it takes her a few tries to get one that isn't blurry. By the time that she finally gets it, Mary's relieved and practically pops out of the sand. Not literally because the Harry and Ember have packed her in tighter than they should have, but that's what it looks like to them as she pushes herself out of the sand.

"Someone's excited to hit the water."

Mary playfully rolls her eyes as she tries her best to wipe the copious amounts of sand off of her skin. She's not really excited to 'hit the water' at all actually, it's always too cold for her and she's not a big fan of stepping on things that she can't see.

"Shut up and get in the sand."

Harry's smile stretches to his ears as he stands up as straight as he can and salutes her, "Yes, ma'am!"

Ember laughs loudly and Mary doesn't bother to hide her smile even though he's being incredibly ridiculous today. She knows that he's doing it for Ember and she loves that he steps out of being an adult to be a kid for her. Alec never really did that for Ember and Mary knows that it made her feel weird because him being like that always ended up being awkward after only a few minutes.

Mary thinks that it's incredibly cute how he isn't afraid to be a kid with her and how he always does everything that she asks him to do. Hell, one time she wanted to play princess all day and she had him wear a tiara and a pink tutu all day, even when they went to the store to pick up things for dinner.

Covering Harry with sand actually takes a lot longer than she thought it would, but it's worth it to see him 'dressed' like a mermaid, fake boobs and everything. She snaps a picture for a keepsake before letting him break free from his sand bonds.

He takes a lot less time than she and Ember did and he doesn't bother wiping the sand off of his skin because the water's right there and it's right in front of them.

Mary doesn't really have time to protest as he takes one of her hands in his and Ember's with the other.

"Now it's time for the real fun!"

"What, that wasn't fun?"

Harry laughs and gives Mary's hand a gentle squeeze, "Of course it was! But everyone knows that everything is better with water!"

"What if I don't like the water?"

Harry's lips lift into a mischievous grin, he knows that she's not really a big fan of water and now is the perfect opportunity to get her and the water acquainted a little better. He looks at Ember and winks and she's confused for a good moment until he drops her hand and picks her mother up bridal style.

Mary wasn't expecting him to pick her up at all and a rather loud shriek passes her lips at the action, her arms tightening around him instantly even though she knows that he won't drop her.

"Harry!"

He laughs in response to her slight panic, "Yes?"

Ember's laughing with him because it was funny to see her mom freak out for a moment. She also knows that he's probably going to drop her in the water because he's done that to her before.

Mary rolls her eyes and relaxes her grip, "You better not drop me."

The corners of his lips lift a little higher, "Now, why would I do that?"

She's not too far above the water at the moment, the cool blue water is up to his shins already and it's rising quickly with each step that he takes. He's always got a lot of tricks and surprises up his sleeve, but this time she knows what he's doing because she's learned.

Mary tries to keep a serious face but she can't help but to smile at how goofy and playful that he is. "You're such a jerk."

His laughter carries with the wind and harmonizes wonderfully with the incoming waves, cresting the shore at regular intervals. "We both know that I'm not."

The water's up to his stomach now and Ember's starting to have to actually swim because she's much shorter than he is. Harry asks her if she wants to go further out because he wants to make sure that she's comfortable and not pushing herself too hard because she wants to follow him out into water that's slightly too deep for her.

Ember says that she wants to go a little further and that she'll let him know when she wants to stop. She waits until the water is just above his bellybutton to tell him to stop and he winks at her again before he grins down at Mary.

"Sorry, love."

Without much warning at all, he drops Mary into the cool water below. It's not as cold as she thought it would be, but it's still cold enough to send a shock through her body and wake her up just a little more.

She surfaces after a brief moment and pushes her hair away from her face. Harry and Ember are laughing and she decides that it wasn't really a bad thing after all. The water feels a lot nicer than the sand and it's a nice relief from the sun and Harry's already managed to make it fun for everyone.

Soft laughter bubbles from her lips and gradually increases in volume as she realizes how dumb her dislike of water was to begin with and just how lucky she is to have Harry in her life. She laughs because she's finally latched on to that bubbly part of her that loves to have fun and she's finally stopped thinking so much about every little thing. Sure, she can't see what's under her feet and the water is a little cooler than she likes, but it's beautiful and it's fun to bob around in the waves and to have fun by splashing each other and occasionally dunking under the water.

Mary sets herself free again and her smile matches the brightness of the sun as she laughs and splashes Harry with saltwater. He's taken by surprise at the action and his eyes widen slightly before his playful smile returns and he gives Ember a little splash to get her involved in this soon-to-be splash war.

Ember's all for it and she laughs loudly as she splashes him back. Water starts to fly in every direction after a matter of moments and everything feels perfect as they smile and laugh and splash each other with water and occasionally try to swim away to no avail.

The day passes all too quickly and by the time that they make it out of the water and into the car, they're coated in light sunburn and sea salt and their skin matches the texture of raisins.

Harry buys Ember ice cream on the way home because it's Saturday and it's turned into more of a tradition instead of a coping mechanism. Mary doesn't really mind ice cream Saturday and she decides to have some as well because she's been holding herself back from truly enjoying herself a lot more than she thought that she was.

On the drive home, Harry turns on a station that Ember likes and they all sing at the top of their lungs and dance in their seats. Most of the words are wrong, but it doesn't matter because they're having fun and killing time that would have otherwise been slightly boring.

Ember's half asleep by the time that they make it into the driveway and Harry ends up carrying her into the house.

"Are you coming over again on Monday?"

Harry smiles, "Of course I am, silly! If you want to have another tea party before then, just tell your mum to let me know and I'll come over right away, okay?"

Ember nods happily and hugs him tightly, "I love you."

Harry kisses the top of her head as he hugs her back, "I love you too, Ember. Be good for your mum tonight, yeah? I think we wore her out today."

She laughs at the recent memory and nods, "Okay."

Mary's standing in the doorway with a soft smile on her lips as she waits for them to say their goodbye's. She loves seeing how well they get along and how much Harry cares for Ember and she doesn't think that she'd trade that for anything in the world.

Harry has Ember get to work on brushing her teeth before he stands and makes his way over to Mary. His hands find her waist in a split moment and she smiles as she wraps her hands around his neck.

"Did you have fun today?"

Mary rolls her eyes because he knows that she had fun today and that he's asking just to hear her confirm it because she wasn't exactly thrilled about the beach trip in the first place.

"Yes, I had a lot of fun today. Thank you for inviting us."

Harry leans in and kisses her softly, admiring the loose curls that the salt water made even prettier than they usually are when he pulls away. "Are you free for another date night this Wednesday? Ember's allowed to stay over too, it just means that if we do any proper adult things that we have to be very careful, quiet, and secretive."

Mary laughs at his use of 'adult things' and nods happily, "Sounds like a plan. But, this time I think we should order Chinese because Ember loves it and it makes her really sleepy."

She's almost so caught up with how his eyes seem to be alight with happiness and his bright smile that she barely misses what he says in return.

"Chinese it is. The ocean makes your hair really pretty, we should take trips to the beach more often."

Mary laughs and shakes her head as she takes her hands back to walk with him to the front door. "Only if you promise not to drop me in the water every time that we go."

Harry chuckles lightly and takes her hand in his, lacing their fingers together even though he knows that they'll part at the front door because Ember will be done with brushing her teeth.

"Well, you're no fun."

Mary nudges his shoulder with her own, "I am too, I just have to tap into that part of myself a little more and you're incredibly helpful with that."

They make it to the door a little faster than either of them wanted to, but that's okay because they'll see each other again soon.

Harry leans down and kisses her slowly, his lips lingering for a long moment before he regretfully retracts them. "I'll see you on Monday, in the meantime, don't forget to call me before you go to bed, I like our late night talks even though they aren't so late anymore."

Mary shakes her head and bites her lower lip as she smiles. Their late night phone calls have been constant and they're one of her favorite things about their relationship because they can just talk and talk for hours and it never feels forced or awkward.

"Will do. I'll see you on Monday, drive safely."

Harry leans in for another quick kiss just because, "I certainly will. I'll be waiting for your call."

She knows that if she doesn't let him leave now that he'll stand there and talk to her for a while, so she sets his hand free and gives him a soft smile as she opens the door. "Goodbye, Harry."