"We are number thirteen." Soraya knitted her well-groomed eyebrows, staring at the number in her hands.
"What number are they now?" he asked with Lucille in his hand.
"Number eight."
"Young miss, would you like to get something to drink while we wait?" He looked around searching for some coffee. His stomach was a bit queasy and he wanted to drink some coffee. He could still feel the alcohol in his system.
"I want some raspberry sorbet!"
"Are you hungry or thirsty, Lucille?"
Lucille looked up at her and shook her head.
She bent down so they could see each other at eye level, "Remember the first time we rode the tube thingy thing? It bounced a lot and if you drink or eat before the ride, you might feel like throwing up later."
Lucille squinted her eyes at her then craned her neck to look at Luke's face, as though trying to confirm that what she said was true.
When Luke nodded, that's the only time she beamed at her, "Then, I would have my raspberry sorbet later," she let go of Luke's hand and ran to her daddy who was already lounging on the sunbed with Jin -- beer on hand.
"Luke, is it just me or Lucille doesn't like me anymore," she pulled Luke's elbow and asked in a hushed tone.
He just chuckled, draped his arm over her shoulder, "Let's find some coffee. I'm about to die." He pulled her away from their little group in search of the holy caffeine.
"Are you sure you're fine to do the tube thingy thing?" She creased her eyebrows in concern.
"Probably not, but I don't want to disappoint the young miss."
They found a small coffee kiosk along the beach and they bought an order of iced cold americano, two shots. For both of them had a rough night and were pulled out of bed too early to do an activity that basically will throw them around in the water.
"I now understand why you can't say no to Noah," he mumbled as he sipped his coffee.
"What?", she asked with her eyebrow raised, ready for an argument with Luke. Noah already started pissing her off, if Luke will add to her annoyance, she won't back down and would give him a good petty fight.
"Well, every time Lucille's blue eyes light up in excitement, my knees buckled and before I knew it, I already said yes!"
She chortled and almost choked on her coffee. "I can see why it's difficult to say no to that adorable little bean, but I can assure you that my difficulty of saying no to Noah has nothing to do with cuteness," she grinned suggestively at Luke who threw his head roaring in laughter.
They were so busy teasing each other, that they didn't realize a pair of sharp eyes zooming toward them from afar. The owner of the pair of blue laser beams was irritated with their way of laughing without a care in the world.
"Papa? Daddy?" She pulled her father's shirt who was staring at Uncle Luke and Little Miss Jessie in the distance. "You aren't listening to me," she pouted and started to whine.
"Sorry, Princess," he stroked and kissed his daughter's puffed cheek. "Can you please tell Daddy one more time? Sorry, I wasn't listening."
She pursed her lips before she started her story from the beginning about a girl whose parents turned into a pig while the girl was spirited away in the other world.
She animatedly told him the story and what she likes about it, who were her favorite characters and such.
She was still engrossed in her storytelling when Soraya announced that they should get ready because they are next in line for the tube thingy thing.
Noah shook his head because everyone was calling the water activity a tube thingy thing since that's what Luke called it, and Lucille copied him. Just like how she continued calling Jess as Little Miss Jessie because Luke told her to address Jess that way.
Her daughter takes Luke's words to be gospel. He doesn't know if he should be worried, but he is happy to see Lucille having a good time.
His guilt over Nicole's accusation of dragging Lucille to run after a woman had diminished as he realized Lucille was actually having an enjoyable time.
And he has Luke to thank for that.
"Ready?" He asked Lucille who met them excitedly to tell them that they have to listen to the do's and don'ts of riding the inflatable tow tube.
She still listened attentively despite the fact that she heard it all since they already did the activity yesterday.
"Remember, little girl, no standing and if you get thrown out in the water, what should you do?" the young man asked Lucille who was too eager to answer.
"Don't panic. The speedboat would stop and get me. Also, I am wearing a life vest so I won't drown."
"Very good!" the staff gave her a fist bump before he handed her the life vest.
Soraya helped Lucille put on her life vest. And before long, they were all ready to get on the inflatable tube to be dragged around the open sea.
"Bye, daddy!" she waved as she ran after Luke.
"Have fun, princess!"
She turned around, with her arms raised in the air, "I love you, daddy!"
The speedboat roared that her voice was drowned in the engine noise, but Noah heard her words clearly. He smiled broadly as he gave her a flying kiss, which made her giggle in delight.
She glanced at Jess who was sitting at the far right of the tube. She was already occupied in fastening the safety belt across her chest.
Soraya helped Lucille fasten her safety harness as she sat down between her and Luke. Lucille requested that she sat beside Luke, as always.
When they signal the boat assistant that they are ready, the speed boat pulled the tube in the middle of the sea, far from the others.
Lucille was bubbling excitedly as they went farther and farther from the shore.
"I'm ready," she glanced up at Soraya, "I can't see daddy, we are too far," she said, complaining.
Soraya surveyed the area where they are and indeed they could barely see the faces of the people on the coastline. She held Lucille's hand and asked, "Young Miss if we get thrown in the water, what is the thing that you must do?"
"Don't panic!"
"Good job. Not hold your harness, we are about to start." She could hear the rumbling of the speedboat picking speed.
Lucille grinned widely with anticipation. And she wasn't disappointed for within minutes they were bouncing wildly on the water. She screamed with joy.
Over Luke and Lucille's screaming, the question and tone of Soraya's voice when she asked Lucille the question regarding what to do when a person gets thrown in the water echoed in Jess' head as she gripped her own harness to keep her from bouncing too hard.
She saw Luke from the corner of her eyes, looking pale as he screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Don't you dare puke!" she said, clenching her teeth.
She now regretting the iced americano she drank with Luke. She should have practiced what she preached. She told Lucille not to drink before this activity but she got herself a cup of freaking iced americano!
She screamed when they hit a big wave, and got drenched by salty water. She coughed for she drank some of it. She glanced at the speedboat that was still on full throttle. Her eyebrows started to crease and she could feel her guts telling her something was wrong.
By this time, they should be near the shore but the speedboat has been pulling them in the same distance away from the shoreline. She glanced at Luke who was still screaming so loud, competing with the engine noise.
Her instinct was screaming her a warning so she unsnapped one of her harnesses. She stretched her hand behind Luke's to tug Soraya's elbow and the other woman met her gaze in affirmation.
What is happening is not normal.
She cocked her head towards Lucille, and Soraya nodded. Their priority is the child.
She turned her attention to the speedboat and the approaching wave. She gripped her harness as the tube thingy thing got slammed by the big wave.
The last thing she heard was Luke and Lucille screaming in excitement before the tube thingy thing flipped over and submerged them underwater upside down!
She offered a silent prayer for listening to her instinct of unsnapping one of her harnesses a while ago. Her palm is still throbbing and it will be annoying to unfasten her harness now that gravity is against them.
She opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was Luke grasping to unfasten his harness. She looked over Luke to check on Lucille and saw the little girl's eyes wide with terror.
Because Soraya looked lifeless next to her and blood was oozing from her head!