Snow on the Beach - S.CONKLIN

01

"Hi." I greet the man behind the Ocean Harbor's front desk, breathless because of how heavy my suitcase is. I know we are not supposed to stay for a long time in Cousins but a little part of me hopes we do. Mom made sure to repeat the same two words through all the flight here. Sell. Leave. Sometimes, I wonder how she can be so cold about selling Susannah's beach house. But again, she's cold to everything in life. She hates the warm and summer and this house so much that she's named me Noelle. Christmas in French. I'm the literal proof of her likeness to the cold. "We have a room reservation under the name Beck."

The grey haired man adjusts his glasses that keeps sliding down on his nose, probably because of the sweat. Cousins can get extremely hot in June. I never minded it but I can see that the man hates it. He grunts while angry typing on his keyboard, looking for our reservation on his computer. He groans when getting up, grabbing two sets of keys and sighs when he stretches his arm to hand them to me. "Room 5." He says.

"Thank you." I smile before leaving the front desk and joining back my mother at the car. She slams the trunk door close, her duffel bag resting on her shoulders like it doesn't weight anything. As opposed to mine who probably has my whole wardrobe packed in it. "We're in 5." I shout, getting her attention by wiggling the keys.

"I saw a pool around the corner, thought maybe you'd like to swim a little before we order dinner." She says as we walk up the stairs to the second level of the motel.

"Meh." I shrug. "I don't really do motel pools. They're disgusting and probably full of pee." She unlocks the door and we enter. I drop my bag on the queen sized bed and she neatly places hers on the chair. "Maybe I could swim at the house?"

She turns to face me, her arms crossed and her head tilted like she's about to lecture me. I frown. Not because I'm confused but because I know what she's about to say.

"Noelle, I don't want you to get too comfortable there. We're only staying the week for the open houses and then we're going home."
"I know. But I haven't been to the house in so many years, I just thought I could enjoy it for the little time I had left."
She sighs, clicking her tongue on her palate. "We'll talk about it later. I'm gonna go take a shower."

I watch my mother lock herself in the bathroom and only once the door is closed that I allow myself to roll my eyes. I know we're wired differently, I inherited my father's sensitive side and I often wish I also had my mother's strength. Because I don't know how she does it. How she keeps it together. It's like Susannah's death doesn't even affect her, not the way it does to me at least. I know they were only half-sisters, she keeps reminding me of that, but I've always considered Susannah as my aunt nonetheless. All the summers we spent together in Cousins, with Conrad, Jeremiah and the Conklin's, they mean a lot to me. And when we stopped going, my mother never told me the reason behind her decision, she simply explain that her and Susannah weren't seeing eye to eye on certain things, that we were better off without them in our lives. I never believed that, but it still wasn't enough for the Fisher's to keep reaching out. The blame is not all theirs, I drifted away too but not by choice. I wanted to go to Susannah's funeral, I wanted to be there for them but my mother didn't let me. When I was on the plane, whenever I'd read the numbers of the beach house's address: 1-7-3 , I would wish for another summer in Cousins just like the old times, as magic as it used to be. I'm hopeful, somehow that my wish will be granted.

While my mother is still showering, I try to make myself comfortable, pulling off my sneakers and laying on the neatly made bed. As I went to turn on the television, someone knocks on our door, probably the housemaid for our towels. So, I exhale while walking up to the door, exhausted by our several hours of travelling.

"Hi." I say, the door handle still in my hand as I look up to the two most unexpected figure I could ever imagine to see. I gasp. "Oh my god, hi."

"Nols?" Jeremiah's eyebrows go up in surprise. "I didn't know you were coming." He says, wrapping me in his arms. He's grown taller than the last time I saw him. I blame it on puberty. He's tanner too, and his hair has lightened like the sun bleached his curls. But he still has that same warm and bright smile that reassured you even when you're not worried. "You remember Belly right?"
"Of course. How could I forget?" I smile to the brunette, she's holding a pot of flowers; hydrangeas, which are Susannah's favorites. I remember because one summer, I help her with gardening. She taught me all the different kinds of flowers and how to properly take care of them, make them blossom. And she must had been taking really good care of Belly because she has blossomed into a beautiful young woman. She doesn't wear her glasses anymore and she's had her braces taken off. She's glowing. They both are, despite what they went through these past few months.
"Hey, Nols. It must had been..." Belly glances at Jeremiah who shrugs. "Five years?"
"Yeah." I say.

I hear the shower turn off and quickly close the door behind me, not wanting for my mother to spot our new guests. Because I know that Jeremiah and Belly are not here, at Ocean's Harbor, to chat, to make up for the time we lost together because of our mothers' conflict.
"Are you really trying to buy my mother with flowers?" I tilt my head to Jeremiah, an eyebrow arched.
"You know why we're here." He says, concerned.
"I know that flowers isn't going to make her back out from selling the house."
"Can we talk to Aunt Julia?" He looks at Belly who gives him a reassuring nod and smile combo. "We have this whole speech prepared."
"Don't waste your time." I say, crossing my arms around my chest. "She's too stubborn."

I spot the defeat in both of their faces and I realize that maybe it's cold of me to kill all of their hopes but I know my mother. She isn't going to budge just because her nephew is asking for it. Trust me, I tried. And I'm her own daughter. She doesn't listen when it comes to Susannah and the beach house. But I don't want to be cold, I don't want to be like my mother. I want to be hopeful too. Like Susannah was.
"Wait here." I instruct them.
"Where are you going?" Belly asks, frowning.
"Just be quiet and wait. Please." I beg with my words and my eyes who meets Jeremiah's. His eyes are narrowed, probably on guard because he doesn't trust me yet. Not after all of this time apart. He gives me one firm nod before I smile, quietly opening the door.

My mother is already dozed off on the bed, still in the bathrobe. I tiptoe to the coffee table and grabs a piece of paper and a pen from her purse. I scribble a note and then quietly puts on my shoes. I take the second set of keys and walk outside of the room where I meticulously close back the door without making a clicking sound.
"So what now?" I say.
"What do you mean?" Jeremiah questions, his tone as confused as Belly's traits.
"I want to help you save the house."
My cousin's eyes widen, not expecting what I just said. "Just because our mothers weren't close, doesn't mean we have to be the same. I've always loved coming to Cousins in the summer, being with you guys." I sense my lips curling up but I don't let them go all the way because I quickly remind myself that when I go back with them, Susannah isn't going to be there. "I'm sorry, maybe it's a bad idea."
"Wait." Belly steps forward. "I think it's a great idea. Maybe seeing you loving this house as much as us, can make your mom change her mind." She looks over at Jeremiah. "Right, Jere?"
"Yeah." He lets himself grin before pulling his hands out of his pockets and drawing them toward me, hugging me. "You're still dwarf-sized." He laughs and I gasp while pulling away, teasingly slapping him on the arm.
"And you're still not funny." I smile.
"Come on." Belly says, leading us to the stairs and then to Jeremiah's car.
"You have a Jeep?" I exclaim, my mouth hanging open as both Belly and Jeremiah laugh to my reaction.
"Do you need a ladder to get in?" Jere teases again.
"Ah. Ah."

I hop in the backseat and once everyone's seatbelt is secured, we drive off. I glance back at Ocean Harbor through the trunk's window. I know leaving without telling my mother is wrong but so is selling the house without telling the boys. So fair is fair. And if I, alone, couldn't change her mind, maybe a whole group of people, family, will. Or maybe it won't but at least I would have fight for it. I wouldn't have stand in the house, by her side, without doing anything to help my cousins save it. Save a piece of Susannah.

hiii everyone,
I'm very excited for you to embark this cute lil summery journey with me in this new story.
Like I always say at the beginning of my books, comment your ideas or what you'd like to see.

I hope you will love reading this as much as I love writing it.

On that note, enjoy!
Much love,
-justine