For You

Chapter 1 - "When I met you"

The days of summer always brought with them a certain warmth and magic.

The hot breeze would make people sweat, but they still liked it, relishing the feeling of the sun kissing their skin, tanning it to a golden hue. And then there was the beach, with its mesmerizing waves.

But for four-year-old Maeve, the beach was a place of discontent. No, she didn't just dislike it; she hated it with a passion.

She detested how the relentless sun made her delicate skin burn, how the sea was so salty she couldn't even consider drinking it - although she'd tried once, to no avail - and how every time she put on her sneakers in the sand, those infuriating grains seemed determined to infiltrate her socks.

"Maeve, let's go swim in the sea, don't you think it's pretty?" Maeve's father, James, asked, waving towards the inviting waves.

"Pretty things can be deceiving," Maeve replied, her tiny fingers gripping an anatomy book for children, while she comfortably sat on a towel.

Maeve's parents had always known she was exceptionally intelligent. From a young age, she displayed a voracious appetite for knowledge, yearning to read, write, and endlessly inquisitive, even when visiting the doctor, because she aspired to become one when she grew up.

The book she held in her hands now, she had purchased herself, determined to be the one responsible for the acquisition. Unfortunately, her intellectual prowess came at a social cost - her classmates were intimidated by her, never daring to approach the girl who always had her nose buried in a book.

"Maeve, sweetheart, let's go for a quick swim, and then you can have all the time you want to read," her mom, Lara, suggested with a reassuring smile.

"Do you promise?" Maeve inquired, her face lighting up.

"I promise," her mom affirmed, lifting her up.

Maeve's daily routine was as predictable as the tides, revolving around reading all sorts of books. Although her dream was to become a doctor, she found herself drawn to fantasy and science fiction, her mind wandering into realms unknown. Sometimes, she'd wonder if she'd ever meet a friend who shared her passion for books.

But, her routine took an unexpected turn when she turned six. She noticed a moving truck pulling up to the house next door, and a family of four began settling in.

This was a rare sight for Maeve, as they'd never had neighbors before. Curiosity got the better of her, prompting her to do something entirely out of character.

She wanted to observe them more closely, so she decided to "read" outside – more like spying with a book she'd read countless times and had no intention of revisiting. She perched herself beneath a tree, discreetly observing the new neighbors as they unpacked their belongings.

There was a man and a woman, presumably the parents, and two children. One was a girl, about three years older than Maeve, and the other, a boy of her age, but seemingly less mature. He was being dragged into the house by his older sister, who attempted to coax him with words of reassurance.

"Come in, it's not that bad!" his sister urged, patting his golden hair. "You'll feel at home in no time."

However, his resistance was unwavering, and he continued to cry, accusing her of being mean and reminding him of their recent move. He refused to enter the house, sulking on the steps as if he had any alternative.

"What a baby," Maeve muttered to herself. Little did she know that her comment, though unheard by the boy, had already caught his attention. Soon enough, she found herself facing a pair of captivating blue eyes.