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Life couldn't be better as I drive my rented convertible, top down as I feel the salty ocean breeze brush through my hair and kiss my face. The lyrics to one of my favorite songs fills my ears along with the calls of the blue waves I drive past.
Catastrophic blues
Movin' on was always easy for me to do
It hits different
It hits different 'cause it's you
My suitcases slightly rocking in the backseat as I slowly pull into the cobblestone driveway of my aunt's house - my new home for the summer. Turning off the engine, I grab hold of my 2 suitcases, still softly humming the words to the song that was just playing.
"Bet I could still melt your world," I mumble, "Argumentative, antithetical dream girl."
I feel a slight smile crawl onto my face as I walk up to the front door of the familiar house, already feeling grains of sand seep into my shoes - a feeling that irritates most people but comforts me in a nostalgic way. This whole experience is reminiscent of the best days of my childhood, the days where I didn't have a care in the world and my only priority was how I could convince my mom to let me stay at the beach until the sun dipped below the shoreline.
I raise my arm to ring the doorbell but I'm stopped when my aunt opens the light blue door, engulfing me in her warm embrace.
"Alice!" she beams, "I knew I heard your angelic singing. Oh, it's so great to see you! It's been too long!"
She pulls me out of the hug, her tan hands holding mine as she observes my appearance.
"God, you are so gorgeous, You know, when I was your age I did not look this beautiful. You are truly blessed."
"Thank you so much, Celia, that really means a lot to me," I smile, feeling the sincerity in her voice as a slight blush tints my cheeks from her compliments.
I've always been very close with my aunt, my mom's sister, at least until my parents moved us to Paris. It's honestly weird to think that they're related when they're so different from each other. My mom was always a "work by the book" and "as long as you get it done" kinda girl when she was younger. My aunt, however, didn't even really have any rules set like her. She just did what she wanted when she wanted to, which, of course, pissed off my mom a lot.
"Come in, come in my dear girl! Feel free to look around the house I'm sure you can find your way around," my aunt exclaimed, taking the suitcases from my hand and into the foyer.
Stepping into her homey beach house, I remove my sand-covered sandals as I take a good look around. Walking through the nicely decorated hallways, my feet pad against the refreshingly cold wooden floors - the same floors I would slip on when my mom would chase me around the house trying to get me in the bathtub after a long day at the beach.
