ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴇʀ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴀɴᴅ|ᴊ.ꜰ

🀣𝟢𝟢𝟣🀣

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴏɴᴇ
↳ᴄᴏᴜꜱɪɴꜱ ʙᴇᴀᴄʜ.

   Cousins. I always loved Cousins Beach. It's where every favorite memory of my childhood was made. Like the time Susannah had gotten me and Belly new charms for our matching bracelets, or when Jeremiah got sunburn so bad that he couldn't sleep on his back for a week. I'd made fun of him the entire time but I'd end up making sure he put sunscreen on every day since.

   And the beach house. The beach house was filled with pictures and knickknacks Susannah had taken and bought over the years. The beach was nearby --- the water and the sand and all those times Jere and I raced down at night even though the water was freezing. And the pool; Belly and I would swim laps at night so she could clear her head, I was just along for the ride.

   But it was the boys who made summer summer. Steven, Jeremiah, and Conrad.
   Conrad, Jeremiah, and Steven.
   My boys.

   It was always us, always the same kids and the same two moms. It never changed. Cousins was the one place on earth that would always stay the same. And it's my favorite place to visit, every
year, from June to August.

--

   Every year in June I'd drive up to Cousins Beach. It was only me and my stuffed elephant, snuffles. He was grey and had small patches on him here and there but he was mine. I'd had him since my third birthday, a present from Jeremiah and Conrad. They'd known how obsessed I was with elephants, and we'd even gone to the zoo when I turned eight so I could pet one. I put its nose to mine though and I kind of freaked, they haven't let me live it down since.
Mystery of Love played quietly in the background as I drove. I always liked the drive up. I got to sightsee, even if I'd already seen everything on the way there. It was like my brain would purposely forget about Cousins during the school year so it all felt brand new when June came back around.
   My phone blared through the car's speakers, Belly's nickname being read to me. I'd answered it. "Hey, hey, hey! How's the ride up so far?" I asked. I could practically feel her smile through the phone.

   "Steven's driving, almost killed us, too." I could hear her brother scoff in the background. "Belly's lying, I'm actually a great driver, Nani!" Even though Steven seemed to absolutely hate all of Belly's other friends, specifically Taylor, he and I got along great. He was basically the brother I never had, which in a way, makes me grateful I was blessed to be an only child. "Hi, Nani!" Susannah yelled. "Hey, Laur!"
   "Should you be driving and talking at the same time?" She asked me. "Eh, it's connected to the car, I should be fine," I said, "We're gonna meet at the gas station, right? I totally need a pee break right about now." I could hear the two siblings chorus a 'gross' when Susannah agreed with me. "You're kind of cutting into my playlist right now so we'll just see you when we get there," Steve said. "Just for that, I refuse to let you take my new car on a joyride this summer."
   He gasp oh so dramatically and I just know he placed a hand over his chest. "You wound me, Nani. How will I ever forgive you?" Belly groaned from the other line. "We'll see you, ZaZa, love ya!"
   "Love ya!" The speakers would beep before my music started playing again.

   Cousins. Cousins Beach was only a few miles away. I'd see Susannah and the boys, Belly and her mom and brother; I'd get to feel the sand between my toes, the water washing over my body, the smell of salt and clean air.
   But first order of business: Hugging my best friend for the first time in months and emptying my bladder.