The Summer We Found Us

Chapter 1

David Whitmore lay stretched across his bed like he had nowhere in the world he needed to be which, honestly, was exactly the plan. The late-afternoon light slipped through his half-open window, carrying a cool breeze that lifted the edges of the band posters on his wall like they were gently nodding along.

Dio thundered from the little black stereo on his dresser, that raw, restless guitar filling his room in a way that always made everything feel a little larger, a little freer. After a long shift at McDonald’s, David’s whole body was in that perfect after-work haze not tired, just unwound. No responsibilities, no rush. Just sound, air, and summer.

He closed his eyes, letting the music settle into him.

“David!” his mom called from downstairs, her voice slicing through the chorus with unfair timing. “Come down for a moment!”

He let out a low groan, rubbing a hand over his face. “Great…” he muttered to himself not angry, just resigned to being summoned.

Still, he swung his legs off the bed and pushed himself upright. Duty called, even if it had terrible timing.

David padded out of his room, pulling the door halfway shut behind him, and headed down the stairs two at a time not rushing, just moving to get it over with. He walked the short hallway that opened into the kitchen, where the smell of something cooking slowly wrapped itself around him like a welcome.

His mom stood at the stove, wooden spoon in hand, hair pulled up in the way she always wore it when she was focused. The second she heard him step in, she turned with that soft, effortless smile only moms seem to have the kind that made the whole house feel warmer.

“There you are,” she said gently, eyes bright, as if she’d been waiting all day just to see his face

“Yep, here I am,” David said, leaning a shoulder against the doorframe. “You called?”

His mom’s smile deepened, the kind that meant oh, I definitely have a plan.
“Ah, yes. I wanted to ask you for a tiny favor.”

David braced himself.

“You remember that new coworker I told you about? The one who started earlier this week?” she continued, giving the pot one last stir before turning to face him fully. “Well, she mentioned she has a daughter your age. Sweet girl. Doesn’t know anyone in town yet. I was hoping you’d be willing to show her around a bit you know, help her get her bearings, meet some people, feel a little less like she’s been dropped on another planet.”

David blinked. “Mom… I’ve got that bonfire tonight.”

Her eyes lit up like she’d been waiting for him to say that.
“Exactly. Perfect timing. Take her with you introduce her to your friends. It’ll be good for her.”

“Mom—”

She didn’t even let him finish. “Nope. You heard me.” She pointed her wooden spoon at him like a general issuing orders, but her voice stayed warm. “You’re going to make her feel welcome. You’re going to help her make a few friends. I’ll write down the address, and you'll be picking her up at seven, understood?”

David exhaled, the dramatic kind only sons perfected. “Mom…”

She raised an eyebrow. To let him know that was the end of the discussion.

David huffed but nodded. “Fine. But Daisy’s doing the dinner dishes tonight.”

His mom didn’t miss a beat. “Deal. Now go get your siblings for dinner, and your father should be walking through that door any minute.”

“Ugh. Okay.”

He walked to the bottom of the stairs, cupped his hands around his mouth, and bellowed, “DINNER!”