Grace's dad softly shook her shoulder, "Gracie, wake up mija..." She opened her sleepy eyes slowly and looked out the window. The sky was a dark navy blue, with stars speckled across the vast expanse.
Grace slid her legs off the bed and scrunched her toes into the floor rug. She had been so excited the night before, that she had slept in her favorite swimsuit, a neon tie dye one piece. She slipped on some shorts and padded into the kitchen.
Grace's dad had his favorite fishing rods propped against the door and his tackle box open on the kitchen table. Double checking to make sure everything was ready to go. Her mama handed her a cooler and a small brown bag with a smile, "For breakfast, mija."
She slid her shoes on and followed her dad out the door to his red pickup. They loaded up and headed towards their destination.
The sky was beginning to lighten, the stars fading. They drove with the windows down, feeling the slightly humid breeze lift the hair off her neck.
She opened the brown paper bag and passed her dad a small bundle wrapped in foil. Still warm, papas con huevo tacos, fresh from her mother's kitchen. The tortillas crispy, filled with tender pieces of potatoes and scrambled eggs.
As they finished up their breakfast, Grace began to smell the coastline. It was the sweet, salty smell of the Gulf. Her dad looked over at her and smiled, "Looks like we'll catch that sunrise."
They drove through the still sleepy town of Port Isabel and made their way across the Queen Isabella causeway. Towards the direction of her father's favorite fishing spot, the jetties.
He parked his red pickup and they both climbed out. "Mija, come here." Grace walked over to her dad and he turned her towards the east. "Look."
The sky was a canvas of bright reds and yellows. Rays of sun spreading over the water, glittering across the gulf. Grace lifted her face and felt the warmth of the sun on her eyelids. She reached over and placed her small hand into her dad's warm callused one. And they stood there, father and daughter, a moment frozen in time.
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