𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐌𝐄 𝐁𝐘 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄 - 𝐁.𝐄

one - north

•
julia.
•

june.

there's something about being on the move that feels almost magical to me—whether it's a car ride, a road trip, or even a long flight. as long as i've got a window to gaze out of, my phone in hand, and my airpods in, i'm content. i love diving into my favorite playlist, letting the music take me away. sometimes, i'll even start curating a new playlist, matching songs to the mood of my journey. other times, i get lost in daydreams, weaving the lyrics into the fabric of my own life, imagining what could be. i'm the type of girl who sees the world through a colorful lens, always believing in the best and holding onto my dreams with unshakable faith. some say it's a wonderful gift, while others warn that i'm just feeding into my own delusions. but honestly, i wouldn't have it any other way.

reasonably, i like it this way. i can put on "on the road" by syd, and suddenly i'm a world-renowned popstar on the second leg of her north-american tour, all cooped up in a tour bus, miles from home. but in reality, my mom's just driving us through the rain to our lake house for the summer. the rain pitter-patters alongside the window i rest my elbow on as i glare off through the windshield. i love living like the main character.

newcomers often ask if i ever get lonely up north without my friends around. honestly, it doesn't bother me much. my friend, claire, has her summer house a bit off the lake, no more than a ten-minute walk from mine. it's nestled beside the town's shops and just five minutes away from the marina in a small neighborhood.

this past winter and spring were a nightmare. i'd been alone, confined to our chicago townhouse while my mother was off on one business trip after another. honestly, she probably relates to "on the road" more than my imaginary popstar persona ever could. between january and may, i saw her for possibly three full weeks total. but everything changes today, june first. this summer, we're going to be inseparable. her job has given her the entire summer off, that's three full months!and if they need anything, she's just a zoom call away. i don't think i've ever felt this happy. i finally get my mom back.

things are bound to become even more distant once i head off to college this fall. i'll be starting my core classes at northwestern, and with my extracurriculars and study sessions, i won't have much chance to see my mother whenever she's actually around. so, i'm determined to make the most of this summer, to bask in every single moment i have with her. i can't let us drift into estrangement, like what happened between my father and i before he passed. we had become strangers to each other, and suddenly he was gone. it's a similar situation with my mother. we're together in fleeting moments, only for her to disappear into her job. work consumes her, and sometimes, it feels like she forgets to be my mother.

i had completely zoned out, lost in my own haze of self-pity. it's supposed to be a great summer—enough with the sulking. i double-tap my airpods, and the song "i like you" by childish major floods through both my ears as we approach the welcome sign for the town that holds a special place in my heart, where the beautiful lake house awaits. i sigh with a contented feeling, excitement coursing through my veins, though it doesn't quite show on my face.

i glance over at my mother, her attention fixed on the winding roads of the small coastal town. i smile at her, reaching my hand across the stick-shift to clasp hers. she looks down, a faint smile spreading across her chapped lips as she takes my hand. then she returns her gaze to the road, and i follow suit, looking through the windshield with a soft smile of my own. besides devyn, my mama is all i've got. but honestly, i wouldn't have it any other way.

we pass the shops along the damp asphalt where pedestrians dart into the white-wooden buildings, trying to shield themselves from the relentless rain. main street is usually bustling with activity, now it's quiet due to the dreary and gloomy weather.