The Perfect Couple

Chapter 3

After a long six-hour drive, Josiah, Lillian and their parents arrived at Myrtle Beach. They climbed out of the car to stretch their legs, then grabbed their bags and headed towards the beach house.

"It's good to be home," Lillian said, breathing in the salty air and placing her hands on her hips.

"Sure is," her mom agreed. "Would you help take the bags into the house?"

Lillian nodded and grabbed her suitcase and duffel bag out of the trunk. Then she followed her mom up the sandy path to the house.

"Need any help?" Josiah asked, falling into step beside her with his own luggage.

"No, I can get it," Lillian replied.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Besides, you have your own stuff to carry."

"Fair enough."

So they continued up the path together. Once they got into the house, though, it was a race to see who could get to their rooms first.

When they were little, they shared a room, but once they turned eight, their parents decided it was time for them to have separate bedrooms. Something about 'cooties,' they said. The rooms they had now were identical, though, with white walls, blue sheets on the beds, and seashells on all the decor.

The house smelled of sunblock and everyone knew that by the time they left, the floors would be littered with sand.

First things first: unpacking. They spent the next hour putting all their clothes and things into drawers, and dusting off the ceiling fans and dressers. The house was usually pretty neat when they returned after the spring, but it was also kind of dirty from all the dust that collected. They always spent the first day cleaning up the place and making it look good as new.

When that was finished, the parents went out to the local grocery store to buy food, while Josiah and Lillian stayed home and watched whatever they could find on TV.

"It feels so good to be back," Lillian said quietly, looking around the living room.

"Yeah," Josiah agreed. "I know we were just here last year, but it feels like it's been forever."

"I know, right?"

"You think my dad'll grill chicken for dinner?"

"Doesn't he always?"

Josiah laughed lightly. "True."

"Why do you always doubt the traditions? It's not like we're suddenly going to change anything."

"I know. I just like to make sure of everything. You know that."

She did. Josiah had always been one to fret about the little things, even unimportant things like grilled chicken.

"There's nothing good on TV," he said, changing the subject.

"There never is," Lillian pointed out.

"True." He turned the television off and glanced around the room. In doing so, he spotted a closet in the corner that he knew held all the board games and outdoor activities.

Josiah got up off the couch and went to look around in the closet.

"Whatcha looking for?" Lillian asked.

"I don't know," he replied, so she joined him and looked for herself.

"Wanna play with chalk?" she said, a childlike gleam in her eye. They'd always loved writing with chalk as kids. Now Josiah seemed a bit skeptical, but she convinced him to join her anyway.

They went outside and sat on the paved driveway, drawing with the rainbow colored chalk for nearly an hour. Josiah traced Lillian and they laughed when he finished because it looked nothing like her.

Lillian had always loved these small moments of just spending time with Josiah and feeling like a kid again. It was these moments that made her the happiest, and she couldn't wait for all the memories this summer held.