1950s Summer

Chapter 1- Returning

It was finally warm enough outside, that you could keep the windows down while driving through town without freezing. It was the beginning of summer in New York, the stale air of the 1950s floated like dandruff that was never ending. This was going to be different though, unlike all the other summers you enjoyed as an adult, you would be revisiting the people from your past.

You were invited to spend the summer with your childhood best friends, and basically sisters, Carol Fisher and Abby Gerhard. You were going to stay in Carol's home which was in the country area rather than the city. Carol asked if you wanted to stay at her house, like old times, and Carol was getting ready for her sister's wedding, so you had to be present for that occasion.

Carol's sister, Elaine, was her only sibling who happened to be older than Carol. She was moving to Virginia after she was to be married. Her ceremony was going to be in New York though. It was where her friends and leftover family was.

You always respected Elaine, she had similar features to Carol, but never as interesting and she would never be as beautiful even though she was older.

Since you were so close with Carol, you were obligated to go and you missed spending time with both Carol and Abby, so the trip did not seem so bad.

Driving to New York from Pennsylvania was not terrible, but it was still long, especially since you were all alone in your car. You were about half an hour away from her house, struggling to find the right bends and turn in the road from your map, but you were excited to see both women again.

You used to spend all of your summers with them. Carol's parents would always invite your family and Abby's to stay with them over the few months because they had the most money out of all of our families, and also because they were the middle ground for Abby and you. Therefore neither of the families had to drive an excruciatingly long time to arrive.

You watched trees fly past your car as you drove. You couldn't help but be giddy for this chance to see them again. Things were getting pretty lonely for you and you couldn't wait to have your best friends back.

It was going to feel like summer once again, the times when you weren't with Carol and Abby did not feel like a true summer season, but now it would be the same as when you were children swimming in the pond Carol had and having late night talks on the banks at sunset.

You missed those times so much and now you had a chance to live them once again. You knew it may be the last time to pretend that everyone was still the same as they were before.

You rounded the corner into Carol's driveway and stopped at the edge of the sidewalk that led to the front door. You honked your horn twice like you always had done before, to announce your arrival and have Carol and Abby come outside to help you with your bags.

Elaine came out the door first, running up and hugging you tightly. Then Carol's mom, Alicia, strutted out as glamorous as always. Carol's mother was beautiful and poised, but most of all she was like your second mom. She was so special and she made you feel so special.

Alicia embraced you, holding you carefully and strong at the same time. "You look so lovely Y/N, so mature." She examined you slowly, but never judging, only admiring you. "I can't believe how grown up you are now." She looked sad as she spoke, but hid it immediately and replaced it with a large smile.

The last time you had spent the summer at The Fisher's, you were a teenager, and now you were around your twenties. Abby was about three years older than you and Carol was four. You had always been the baby, the child, but now you were categorized as an adult like them now.

"Awe, thank you Alicia. I'm so happy to be back." You undeniably said.

Right then you saw Carol and Abby come out from the house together talking, laughing about something. They walked over to you and hugged you briefly. "It's good to see you Munchkin." Abby laughed.

Abby always laughed at you, but not in a demeaning way. A lighthearted way to crack jokes and make others laugh. Munchkin was your nickname, given to you by Abby because you were shorter than both her and Carol. You always hated it because it reminded you that you were younger than them, like an outcast.

"Hey Y/N." Carol said blandly as she barely even looked at you and went straight to grab your stuff in the trunk of your car and bring it inside. She hadn't bothered to ask you how you were doing and it hurt a bit, but Carol was always like this, quiet and reserved. She never asked questions she didn't want the answer to or she didn't care to know the answer to.

"How is Pennsylvania Munchkin? I heard people say it's boring. Is it more exciting than New York?" Abby was at it again, playing her games with you. You didn't mind since you were included in the conversation, but you knew whatever answer you gave would come with a snarky remark.

"It's not super boring Abby. It's nice." You didn't show any sign of it bothering you that she said your home was boring, but inside it did hurt some.

"Come one Abby, quit talking and take the bags inside. Carol already took some and you're just wasting time." Alicia bossed Abby around, but Abby didn't try to interject because Alicia was all of our mom's basically and we all accepted it willingly.

"Alright alright." Abby replied, still giggling at herself.

"Remember Y/N, this is just like the last summers, dinner will be cooked by me most nights, and you and the girls can take turns cooking the other nights. Nothing special is planned except for the wedding rehearsals, but those aren't for a while. Other than that, enjoy yourself." Alicia gave you another warm hug and went inside.

You knew this house like the back of your head. It was simply muscle memory at this point. The house hadn't changed much either. The greens and browns were filtered everywhere in each room with the wallpaper and furniture colors coordinating with each other.

You walked upstairs to your room and it was the same as you remembered it. The bed in the center of the room. It had two dressers, one by adjacent to the door and one across from the bed with a night stand in the corner. The bathroom was shared by all the girls, Elaine, Abby, Carol, and you. It was at the end of the hallway upstairs on the opposite side of the house where Elaine slept.

Carol and Abby's rooms were beside each other while yours were across from them. Alicia slept in the master bedroom which was down stairs. So the upstairs felt like it was reserved for only the children although none were children anymore.