𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 , the summer i turned pretty

𝟏𝟗 family line

( family line ── conan gray )

❛ i say they're just the ones who gave me life
but i truly am my parents' child ❜

the fourth of july day was getting really long. sadie and piper never seemed to see the end of it. after the eventful talk with the rest of the girls, the two sisters were swatted away by their dad to dinner.

of course, family dinners between the three of them weren't anything new, but by andrew's tone, sadie could tell that he wasn't there to bare any good news.

his intentions were obvious from the moment he arrived at cousins beach - to sell his parents' old house, his childhood home. for a number of years, his plans have been clear but constantly postponed by katherine. sadly, she wasn't with them anymore and there was no longer a reason to postpone his mission.

the restaurant that the little family sat at wasn't at all too busy. everyone was mainly celebrating the fourth of july by barbecuing in their backyard. "what are you girls thinking of getting?" andrew casually scrolled through the menu pages. he was seated across from his two daughters.

piper took a sip of the water from the table she previously ordered, "to be honest, i'm not really all that hungry," she admitted. andrew hummed, not looking up from the menu but turning to another page, "what about you sadie?"

sadie, who was playing with the rings on her fingers looked up, "oh. um. i guess i'm not hungry either." andrew hummed again, putting down the menu, "okay then," for a second he hesitated. it seemed like both of his daughters knew why they were there and it wasn't to have dinner.

"why are you really here dad?" piper took initiative after a few silent minutes. sighing deeply the man got ready to utter the words on his mind. he opened his mouth to speak but as soon as he looked piper and sadie in the eyes no words, not a sound came out.

maybe he was making a mistake? maybe that place wasn't at all that bad? maybe there was still hope to heal? maybe-

"you sold the house, didn't you?" sadie pulled him out of his thoughts. his silence was her answer. the house was no longer in his position it belonged to an anonymous buyer and whatever second thoughts he was having it was too late. "yes."

"i want to go there, one last time," piper nodded her head, desperately agreeing with her sister. that house held so many memories, it was more than just a shame to let it all go. "w- we can't honey. i- i already gave the keys away."

"why would you do that?"

"sadie i ha-"

"i had no choice. that's what you always say."

"pip-"

"why would you do that dad? huh?" he felt cornered, unable to defend himself because whatever he said never seemed to be a good enough an excuse. "that place doesn't bring joy to anyone anymore." he opted to say. "you grew up there! you got married there! everything you've ever known is there!"

"no!" he argued, "everything i've ever known, everything i've ever loved and everything that ever mattered is right here at this table. that house is just a piece of wood and stone, it doesn't feel. it doesn't care."

"but we do!"

"you could've at least let us go there before selling it," piper's small, now calm voice stung andrew deep in the chest. his long-time decision seemed like a mistake now. he was being selfish, a trait he never thought he'd have.

he was only thinking about his feelings towards that house and not his daughters' or his late wife's.

he grew up in that house and he used to love it. it was at the beach and had the most beautiful view of the sunset every day. he hoped that one day that place would be his and that that's where he'd raise his children but everything changed when he met katherine.

katherine was just a visitor who spontaneously decided to enter the deb ball. the night of the deb ball was where they met. the moment he saw her coming down the stage he knew that that girl was the woman he was going to marry one day. it was love at first sight. his predictions were true because upon approaching her she simply fell in love with him too.

their ambitions were different, while andrew always wanted to stay in cousins and pursue sailing katherine wanted to finish her studies in the city and chase her dreams of being a lawyer.

they dated for the rest of that summer and it was on andrew to decide whether to go with katherine or stay with his parents who didn't support his decision of possibly leaving.

andrew was never the man to live a life full of 'what ifs' so he dropped everything and went with katherine. he thought that, if they broke up he could always return back home.

they dated for some time before katherine fell pregnant and the pair decided to tie the knot. their plan was to go back to cousins and get married there. upon arriving andrew found the house empty, his parents weren't there and he didn't talk to them since he moved away.

later he found out they were in texas living their best lives, leaving the summer house in his name. they left him the same way he left them. he felt alone even though he had his soon-to-be wife and a child on the way.

susannah suggested having the wedding at the house, the idea which katherine loved. andrew wasn't too keen about it but he let it happen anyway.

his intention was to sell the house from the begging, since his parents left but katherine always used to say that the happy memories were much stronger than the sad reality and that the house should be a token of love, a reminder that family is the most important aspect of life.

he didn't really agree with that, the only reminder that house had was a reminder that his parents didn't approve of his life, of his wife or his children.

he never regretted leaving with katherine but he always wondered what if he stayed instead.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤ⎯⎯ㅤㅤNESSA'S NOTES!
so... andrew wasn't actually supposed to have a sad backstory in the original plans ha ha ha

wait till you find katherine's story and how and from what she died lol (that's in like 5ish chapters i think)

anyways, happy Wednesday! hope everyone had a good day! see you in the next chapter!!

[edit!] here's something that i made lmao