Our Summer

Chapter 6

The three sisters, Jeremie, Nellie, and Dianne, stood in the kitchen, each holding a coffee cup as they engaged in conversation.

"Oh, so Summer's not coming?" Nellie inquired, taking a sip of her coffee.

Jeremie shook her head. "No, she didn't want to. She'd prefer staying here," she explained. "Michael and I will leave her here for those two days that we'll be gone." Her dark brown eyes glanced at her sisters. "That'll be okay, right? It wouldn't cause any trouble?"

"Of course it's okay, ate! I have no problem with that. I'm glad she chose Lingapbukid over the city, it means she really likes it here," Nellie reassured, nodding her head in agreement.

"My little Chloe would like that too. She'd be bored here if Summer were to leave, since Ronan and Maddi aren't here yet as well," the youngest sister chimed in, lightly swaying her coffee cup around as she spoke.

Jeremie smiled as she nodded along with her sisters' reassurances. "Mm, that's actually an excuse that my daughter made to not go with us - to spend time with Chloe," she says with a tone tinged with amusement. "I do believe her, but I'm positive it's also something else."

The two younger sisters exchanged curious glances, intrigued. "What something else?" Dianne inquired, her interest piqued.

"Kuya Rex's boy, Sebastian."

"OH!" Nellie exclaimed, her lips forming a wide, teasing smile as she snapped her fingers in realization. "I definitely believe that! Yeah, it's mostly because of Sebastian!"

Dianne looked between Nellie and Jeremie, piecing together the puzzle with dawning understanding. It didn't take long for her to connect the dots. She remembered seeing Summer and Sebastian together yesterday when she arrived. "Ahh," she murmured, nodding in comprehension. "I saw them together yesterday when Chloe and I got here."

"Yup, yup, yup!" Nellie cheered, feeling giddy with excitement. "Watch out, you and Michael. Those two kids are in love~"

Jeremie chuckled lightly, waving her hand dismissively. "I trust Summer, and I want her to enjoy her time here while she can," she said with a fond smile. "I've never seen her so happy in a long while."

~~~

Summer jumped out of bed as soon as she woke up. With her parents leaving early in the morning, she knew she had to get moving too to say goodbye to them. Plus, she wanted to start her day early.

She thanked her aunt Nellie for having her hot water all ready. Summer wasted no time lathering up and rinsing off. Once done, the girl dried herself off and got dressed, and she couldn't help but glance out the window and notice the promising sunshine streaming in. Summer wore a sleeveless lavender crop top paired with denim shorts, with her hair tied back into a ponytail for convenience since she thought it would be quite a hot day today. She felt just how hot the sunrise was.

She admired her reflection in the mirror then, nodding when she was satisfied.

Downstairs, Summer enjoyed breakfast with her family, savoring every bite of Nellie's delicious cooking as they shared stories and laughter around the table. Her parents, aunties, and little Chloe kept the conversation lively, filling the room with warmth and joy.

Summer's parents finished their meals faster than the rest, since they had to prepare to head to the city. Jeremie and Michael bid farewell to the family, leaving some money for their daughter before taking their leave.

Once her parents were gone, Summer found herself surrounded by her aunties and little cousin now. Nellie, ever curious, leaned in with a playful smile as she asked, "So, what's your plan for today, neng?"