All The Summers Between Us | TSITP

Return To Cousins.

The drive to Cousins always felt longer than it really was. Belly leaned against the cool glass of the window, watching as the trees blurred past. Her stomach buzzed with the kind of nervous energy she only ever felt this time of year, the anticipation of stepping back into a place where time always seemed to pause.

Beside her, Lydia Conklin stretched out her legs, tapping her flip-flops against the back of Steven's seat until he swatted her foot away.

"You think Conrad and Jeremiah are going to look different this summer?" Belly asked suddenly, her voice breaking the silence in the car.

Steven groaned dramatically from the passenger seat. "They're guys, Belly. They don't magically transform over the school year."

"Conrad doesn't need to transform," Belly muttered, her cheeks warming the second the words left her mouth.

Lydia leaned forward between the seats, her ponytail brushing against her shoulder. "Please. If anyone's waiting for a glow-up, it's Conrad waiting to see Belly."

"Lyd!" Belly shoved her arm lightly, embarrassed.

Laurel smirked in the driver's seat, eyes still on the road. "You two better not start fighting already. We haven't even made it to Cousins yet."

The car settled back into an easy quiet. Belly pressed her forehead against the glass again, smiling faintly. For her, it was always Conrad. For Lydia... well, she wasn't sure what it was yet. But Cousins always had a way of making things clearer.

————

The Fisher beach house stood at the end of the street, glowing in the late afternoon light. The porch was lined with potted flowers, and the whole place looked alive, as if it had been waiting just for them.

Belly sat up straighter, while Lydia pressed her hand against the window, her chest tightening.

Every summer, no matter how many times she came back, it still felt like coming home.

Before the car had even rolled to a stop, the front door flew open and Susannah came rushing down the steps, her sundress fluttering.

"My girls!" she cried, pulling Belly into her arms first. Then she turned to Lydia, wrapping her up in a hug that lingered. Susannah held her close, stroking a hand down her hair.

"Oh, Lydie," she murmured, her voice catching just slightly. "You look more and more like your mama every summer."

Lydia swallowed hard and blinked fast, willing herself not to cry. "Hi, Aunt Susannah," she said softly.

Laurel climbed out of the car, and she and Susannah hugged liked no time had passed.

Jeremiah bounded down the steps barefoot, his grin wide. He scooped Lydia up without hesitation and spun her once.

"Finally! My partner in crime left me unsupervised for ten months. Cousins was boring without you."

"You mean no one else was dumb enough to jump off the pier with you?" she teased as he set her down.

Behind him, Conrad leaned against the doorframe. He didn't move as quickly as Jeremiah, but his eyes lingered. First on Belly, then on Lydia.

"Hey, Lyd," he said finally, voice low.

"Hey," she answered, her smile smaller, steadier.

————

Inside, the house smelled like sunscreen and lemon cleaner. The foyer filled with dropped bags, shoes kicked off without care.

"Belly, Lyd," Susannah said, her hand warm on both their shoulders, "your room's ready. Fresh sheets, and peonies on the dresser." She smiled. "For my girls."

Upstairs, the room was just like they left it—two twin beds, fairy lights over the mirror, the sound of waves drifting through the window. Belly flopped down dramatically onto her bed, while Lydia traced her fingers across the soft petals of the peonies.

"Do you remember when we made those friendship bracelets and mine snapped in the pool?" Belly asked, grinning.

"I remember you said it was a sign," Lydia replied. "And then Jeremiah dove for, like, twenty minutes trying to fish it out of the filter."

Belly rolled onto her stomach, laughing. "He always does that—finds the thing you lost."

Lydia smiled faintly, pulling a photo strip from her bag and tucking it into the mirror. Two little girls, Susannah in the middle, all three grinning with popsicles in their hands.

"You okay?" Belly asked softly.

"Yeah," Lydia said after a moment. She glanced out the window toward the ocean. "It just feels good to be back."

————

By nightfall, the group ended up on the beach.

Bonfires dotted the shoreline, and the air was thick with smoke and salt. Music played somewhere in the distance, mixing with the sound of waves crashing.

Belly walked in with Jeremiah, their laughter echoing. Steven was a little way ahead, already trying to impress Shayla with jokes that made her roll her eyes.

Lydia found herself walking next to Conrad. He didn't speak right away, just shoved his hands into his pockets.

"You still jump off the pier at night?" he asked finally.

"Only if someone dares me."

The corner of his mouth lifted. "Consider it a dare."

She smirked, bumping her shoulder with his. "Guess we'll see if you're brave enough to follow."

Later, dripping wet and wrapped in towels, they sprawled in the sand together. Jeremiah leaned against Belly, whispering something that made her laugh so hard she almost fell over. Steven tossed handfuls of sand into the air to annoy Shayla, who pretended to be mad but couldn't stop smiling.

Conrad sat a little apart, brushing sand off his hands. His eyes flicked toward Lydia when he thought no one was watching.

Lydia tilted her face toward the dark water, the waves rushing in steady and sure. Her heart felt full in a way it hadn't in a long time. Cousins was her anchor, and tonight it was all hers again.

And just like that, summer began.