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After that night in the truck, things begin to change around the beach house between Rosie and me. It's subtle but it's there underneath it all and I'm scared to feel it again, especially with a stranger. Belly has never been a stranger to me. She's been ingrained into my life for decades - where do I even begin to let her go?
This beach house used to breathe Belly but after sitting empty for months, her presence is like a ghost. Passing through with only memories and photographs that are tucked away. Very few remain on the walls and that's only because I let it stay as it's my favorite one. The day itself isn't very memorable but this photograph was and the several outtakes that are stashed away. This one made the cut though.
It's the six of us sitting on the steps in the back that lead down to the beach. The three boys: Conrad, me, Steven on the bottom step, and the three girls sitting above us on the top. Belly is squished between Suhannah and Laurel. We're all holding a popsicle and our faces are stained with the melted juices of the cherry, and grape flavors. Everyone has massive toothy smiles on their faces and we're sunkissed. The summer was almost ending and I'd have to say goodbye to Belly for another year.
I always hated that part of the summer holiday. Saying goodbye to her and the beach house. I always wished to freeze time so that summer would last forever.
I walk away from the photo; my heart aching for those good old days and step into the pool room where Rosie is currently set up on one of the chairs. She's making more decorations like her life depends on it. She's in total concentration mode and I don't want to disturb her.
So I quietly enter the pool and swim around, watching her ever so subtly from the different swimming techniques I try out until I'm tired and I decide just to float on my back. We haven't talked once this entire time and it's lovely how she isn't prying into me and isn't trying to figure me out. She's just letting the silence linger and I love every second of it.
My ears perk to the sound of Rosie humming again despite there being no radio, only sounds of people getting ready for supper and kids being called in from the beach. It's heavenly and it fills the space with such comfort, I completely forget about Steven and Miranda until they come barging in.
They're giggling and kissing like usual. Miranda breaks free from her fiancé's grasp. She announces, "Good news everybody! We've been invited to a full moon party!"
I notice Rosie scrunch her face in question. "Are we all just gonna be showing each other our butts, mooning each other all night? Is that what full moon means?"
I stifle a giggle at her comment. Miranda scoffs playfully, "No you silly goose! Full moon as in you know... the moon. In the sky."
Miranda points a finger toward the roof to demonstrate where the moon is. Rosie grins in amusement and claps her hands together, asking several questions,
"Oh! How fun! What's the dress code? Is it BYOB?"
"Booze is provided," Miranda confirms with double finger guns. She glances at Steven who has yet to say anything because he's so enamored with the girl glued to his side. She says, "And as far as I'm aware... no dress code but something accessible just in case I missed something and we do have to show our asses."
I'm thrown back into distant memories of the several beach parties I've attended in the past. Particularly one where Belly screamed at Conrad. Neither of them is here and this would be the perfect chance to get back out there but the idea of having to talk and converse with people is the last thing I want to do. I don't remember ever feeling this way before and will have to remember to write this down in my journal later.
It's Steven who brings up the fact that there's a lot of locals going, "Cute and SINGLE locals." He suggestively quirks his eyebrows at Rosie and then me. My body floods with dread at the thought of Rosie bringing someone home tonight after the party that I almost sink to the bottom of the pool.
But I continued to stay afloat when Rosie turns to me, her blonde hair moving wistfully at the same time. Her emerald eyes shine a beacon into my heart. I have to remind myself to breathe when I see the small smile playing on her lips. She looks like she's holding a secret and I desperately want to know it.
"Are you going, Jere?"
Simply put, I can't say no to her pretty freckled face. I agree to go but only on one condition, "As long as I don't have to show my butt."
"Aw, that's no fun!" Miranda chimes in. Rosie is grinning at me now, her lips spread across her face and into her round cheeks, lighting her whole face up.
"I'll make you a deal Jere," Rosie states, her voice in a daring but direct tone, "we can be butt buddies. If I show my butt that means you have to show yours, and if you show your butt that means I have to show mine."
Rosie gives me one quirk of her right brow and I'm sold. Within a millisecond, I'm blurting out my answer, "It's a deal."
The moment is ruined when Miranda yells, "and I call dibs on Steven being my butt buddy!!"
