HEJ, MY LOVE

SUMMERTIME

Time slipped too fast, as attested Leone's hair that stretched beyond his shoulders, which he liked to have tied in a topknot.

"Joah, Gabi, come."

"Look at Leone playing supervisors. He's a real tyrant," Ulrich said.

Klara laughed, "he's a bit like you when we were younger. You used to take us for minions too."

Leone covered his grandfather with sand and had the twins Joah and Gabriel bring the water.

"I can't wait until they attain the calm phase like yours, Shai."

"Calm, you say, look at them. I don't call throwing seaweed at one another and chasing each other with crabs calm. At least Joah and Gabriel are organized in a task force, and Malia is a sweetheart," Shai said nervously before yelling. "Milo, Levi, you better stop that or else."

"Ma-Li-A," Millie called.

"She's probably with her dad," Sierra said and got up to find them.

Unlike her brothers, who enjoyed following Leone's lead regarding mischief, Malia was a true daddy's little girl. She followed her father everywhere, and the man could not get enough of his only daughter.

Jonas held Malia's hand as the water swayed at her feet.

The whole family was in Halmstad for summer, grandparents, aunts, and uncles included.

They all took a week in summer to spend time together as everyone had busy schedules.

Ulrich made the big decisions while Joshua helped supervise their five stores.

Elsa had a stressful year as the insemination her girlfriend tried failed a few times. The women were frustrated, especially when they saw how happy everyone was to have kids.

The only person missing was Lars. Feeling outed by his family, the man left bitter, "what do you imagine? You're not the only one with talent here who can make millions, Jonas. You think I didn't learn a thing or two while working with you?"

Jonas clenched his fist, his tolerance had its limit, and he was about to pounce. Lars hit everyone's red zone, as proved by Ulrich, who got up and grabbed Lars by the collar, "you crazy punk."

"What are you going to hit me?" Lars said, widening his eyes in defiance.

"I swear you deserve it and more. You almost sunk the company and destroyed almost Jonas' family. Sierra could have died, and Leone, we don't know where he could be right now if Elsa didn't ring alarms everywhere. And here you are throwing your spite when you should be thankful to sit here. If there's one person here who has always been diligent towards you, it's Jonas. He gave you chance after chance, and you blew it."

"Ulrich," their mother begged.

If someone asked Sigrid the most challenging part of having many children, she would say maintaining peace.

The Potsmann parents had succeeded. Each child lived their life the way they desired, but they remained united. There was no disagreement they could not fix, but all knew there was no going back this time.

To forgive and forget at that instant, neither seemed to be a feasible option.

Lars left promising he'll do better than any of them.

The anger Jonas felt became sorrow. Lars was the youngest, and just as Leone helped his siblings walk or eat properly, Jonas took care of his brother. As an adult, he hoped to help Lars find what he truly desired to do in his life. Now all was lost; within a second, Lars forgot what his brother did for him.