Emery [bxb]

51

We pass the days play-fighting, wrestling in the sand, tossing a football and eating outdoors.

Presently, Em and I are sharing a corn on the cob. He's telling me how Aly has put cello on pause now that she's headed to college. Playing was a childhood hobby but she has no intention of continuing to dedicate the sort of time Emery is putting in to compete and perform.

"Do you think it's silly that I wanna keep playing?" Emery frets.

"Are you kidding?" I exclaim. "Dude, you're amazing. You can't waste that potential. 'Sides, life's too short not to do the things that make you smile and laugh and feel good."

He throws his arms around me and I kiss his curls just like I did when he was little. "Wanna go swimming?"

"Sure!"

I take off, stripping as I go.

"Last one in!" I below as we race to a little scruffy cliff. We jump naked into the water and swim around until dusk.

Em and I join the others at the fire later. Guitars are being played, longnecks chugged, voice singing off key.

"Boys don't know what they have; they think there's always greener grass, let a good thing go, then want it back, when they find out what they're missing..." my uncle is strumming his guitar along to a Dean Brody song.

Emery and I are too busy giggling and feeding each other marshmallows to pay much attention to anyone else.