All The Summers After | TSITP | Sequel

Home, Again.

The cab crunched over the familiar gravel drive, the sound so specific to Cousins it made Lydia's chest ache.

She pressed her hand to the window, watching the house come into view — the white siding, the weathered porch, the glow from the back where the garden opened out toward the beach. Even from the front, she could hear the faint hum of voices and laughter drifting from the backyard.

Conrad paid the driver while she slid out of the car, the humid coastal air wrapping around her like an old blanket. The sky was dipped in late afternoon gold, the kind of light only Cousins seemed to know how to hold.

He came around the back of the taxi and set their suitcases on the driveway with a soft thud.

"Smell that?" she said.

He took a deep breath — salt, grill smoke, something sweet on the breeze. "Yeah," he said. "Smells like every summer we ever had."

"And every mess we ever made," she added.

He smiled. "That too."

They grabbed their smaller bags, rolling the suitcases up the front steps as quietly as they could manage, the wood creaking beneath their weight. Lydia shushed the plank that squeaked loudest.

"Traitor," she whispered to it.

————

Inside, the house was empty but alive — half-finished glasses on the counter, a dish towel thrown over a chair, the faint echo of laughter through the open sliding door at the back.

She let her bags drop in the front hall with a soft thunk.

"We'll get these later," she said.

"Future us problems," Conrad agreed, leaving his backpack by the stairs.

They shared a quick conspiratorial glance — two kids about to crash their own family reunion — and padded quietly down the hallway toward the glow and noise at the back of the house.

"Try to be quiet," Conrad murmured.

"Me?" she whispered back. "I invented loud entrances."

They reached the kitchen, stopping just before the open glass doors. Through the frame, they could see everyone gathered around the big outdoor table in the backyard:

• Belly tucked beside Jeremiah, her head turned toward Laurel, eyes bright.

• Jeremiah, laughing at something Steven had just said.

• Taylor, gesturing wildly with a fork.

• Steven, pretending to be annoyed but clearly amused.

• Denise and Daniel, seated across from them, both relaxed, Denise mid-story.

• Adam at one end of the table, leaning back in his chair, beer in hand.

• John beside him, face soft and sun-touched.

• Laurel moving between the table and the house, carrying a platter.

The lanterns hung from the pergola, the ocean in the background, the table scattered with half-eaten food.

Cousins, frozen in a perfect snapshot.

Lydia felt her heart swell.

Conrad nudged her gently. "You ready?"

She grinned, mischief sparking in her eyes. "Always."

They stepped out together.

Lydia cupped her hands around her mouth and called, loud and bright: