every year since before Maria Martinez could remember her family had spent every summer in Cousins with the Fisher's and Conklin's. after the death of her mother Maria needed this summer to be the same as any other, happy, carefree, loving. little d...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"i think i'm gonna head up the road early this year, you think you can catch the bus ooh or head to Boston with the Fisher's for the weekend and i can get you from there when i drive up for school? something like that maybe?" Luis sighed, checking his reflection in the rear view mirror
"are you kidding?" Maria whipped her head to look at her brother
"no i'm not kidding, Grayson's having a 4th of July thing that i'm gonna go back for that, figured i'd just stay in the city" he shrugged
"you really wanna ditch summer, our summer, for some party?" Maria shook her head disappointedly
"don't give me that look hermanita" he groaned
"oh so you can still speak Spanish, there's a surprise!" Maria scoffed and slouched down in the chair
"you don't even like me fussing over you in Cousins anyway" Luis protested
"yeah but i like you to be there like...like normal" she added the last bit almost shyly
"well it's not normal is it" Luis snapped "Mom's gone and the second summer is over you will be too" he said spitefully and then seemed to catch himself on
"so you're not coming with us?" Maria asked quietly
"i'm on my last year of high-school Maria. there's no point in me going back to Spain just to have to come back again for college" he sighed and there was a thick silence "look let's just...make the most out of what we've got alright. i'm not gonna stop fighting for custody but we have to make peace with the fact that this might be our last summer" Luis reached his arm over to pat his sister's arm
"yeah whatever" Maria tucked her hair behind her ears as Luis pulled up the car.
"there she is" Conrad walked over from the back gate with his hands in his pocket and a cheeky smirk on his face as Maria opened the car door and walked towards him.
"no getting rid of me" Maria smiled
"oh and beautiful as ever" Conrad opened his arms for her to hug him. he held the girl close, dropping his head onto her shoulder
"it's good to see you Connie" Maria smiled
"did i hear my girl? oh my god oh my god!" Susannah squealed as she ran down the steps and towards Maria
"And it's begun" Conrad laughed lightly as he let Maria go
"Mrs Fisher!" Maria beamed
"honey you look so grown up! oh my dear lord you're glowing!" Suzannah complimented as she brought the girl into a suffocating hug "how are you, seriously how are you?" She held Maria and arms length, genuinely checking on her
