𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓪𝔂 𝓘 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓭 𝔂𝓸𝓾

ོ༘₊⁺☀︎₊⁺⋆.˚

The smell of eggs and bacon drifted up the stairs like a personal invitation.

Emberyln rubbed at her eyes as she padded down the steps barefoot, her sweatshirt slipping off one shoulder. Her hair was a lazy braid, undone at the ends, and her voice still hadn't woken up as she stepped into the warm, lived-in chaos of the Fisher- Marlow -Conklin kitchen.

The first thing she saw was them—August, Jeremiah, and Steven—huddled at the kitchen island like it was the war room. August and Jeremiah were in matching red lifeguard uniforms, complete with zinc on their noses and sunglasses perched on their heads. Steven was in a crisp white shirt and bow tie, server-style, fidgeting with a too-tight collar.

Jeremiah stood over the stovetop, flipping scrambled eggs with one hand and tossing sliced fruit into the blender with the other.

"Do we really have to physically sit for our portraits?" he asked, not even turning around. "Can't she just, like, look at a picture on her phone or something?"

"Okay, both of you, get out," he added, waving the spatula without looking.

"What? Why?" Steven leaned over his shoulder, eyes wide like a raccoon caught digging through snacks.

Laurel looked up from her laptop, seated at the table and typing. "She needs to see you in the flesh in order to capture your essence. While you're still young and full of hope."

Both boys groaned in unison.

Jennifer, Emberyln's mom, smiled behind her coffee mug. "Hey—it's her words."

Jeremiah sighed. "Well, Conrad doesn't have hope, actually. He's hopeless. But my hangover smoothie? It cures all."

All eyes drifted toward the couch.

There was Conrad, lying dramatically across it, one arm slung over his face like a Shakespearean prince in despair. He let out a low groan.

Emberyln grinned and made her way to the kitchen. "Morning."

Jennifer immediately stood and kissed her daughter's head. "Morning, love."

Emberyln eyed her older brother. "August, you're working?"

August rolled his eyes. "It was last minute. Plus, it's gonna be fun. Free sun, free snacks."

"You're gonna melt in that uniform," she teased, grabbing her phone and snapping a picture of him. "Summer has to see this when she wakes up."

August held up a peace sign while dramatically frowning. "Get my good side."

Jeremiah, still multitasking at chef-speed, muttered to Conrad, "Can you please just hurry up?"

"Just go back to bed, all right?" Jeremiah tossed back, still flipping eggs.

Laurel glanced up. "She hasn't painted you since you were little."

Jennifer chimed in. "I think it'd be nice to have these portraits for when you're older."

Steven made a face. "Old? No thanks. When I'm older, I'll just pull up holograms of myself. Way cooler."

The blender suddenly roared to life. Conrad jumped slightly on the couch, groaning again.

Jennifer laughed, unfazed. "Just sit for your portraits. I don't see Connie complaining."

Jeremiah, finishing the smoothie, handed the cup toward Emberyln. "Hey, pass this to Conrad, will ya?"

"Sure." She took the smoothie, cool and green in her hand, and made her way over to the couch.

She crouched beside Conrad, sitting on her heels. "Hey, Con."

He cracked one eye open. "Hm?"

She held out the smoothie. "Courtesy of your hopeful little brother."

Conrad took it with a tiny grunt. "Thank you, Em."

Back in the kitchen, August was hurrying everyone along. "Come on, guys. Hurry your asses up, all right? I can't be late for my first day of work."

"We're good, we're good!" Jeremiah called, rinsing the pan.

Steven grinned. "Those old country club boomers are gonna tip me so hard, man. They won't know what hit 'em."

"Oh!" Jeremiah added with a laugh. "Let my boy get that bread, Laurel."

Laurel just shook her head, exasperated.

That's when the door creaked open.

"Good morning," Belly said, stepping into the kitchen.

Jennifer perked up. "Morning, Bells. Have you seen Summer?"

Belly shrugged. "Uh, no. I'm pretty sure she's still asleep."

Laurel narrowed her eyes. "Belly, where have you been? Is that a bruise?"

Belly blinked. "Um... I—I bumped into someone."

"You bumped into someone?" Laurel echoed, eyebrows raised.

Jeremiah glanced over. "Doesn't look that bad."

August offered, "Um, cereal?"

"Yeah, hit me," Belly said, slipping into a seat.

"Sure thing," August replied, already reaching for the box.

Then the front door burst open. Susannah entered like a summer storm.

"Oh my God!" she gasped, her hair already curling from the humidity. "Belly and Emmy are going to be debutantes!"

Everyone turned to stare at her.

Belly laughed nervously. "It's really not that big of a deal."

Emberyln, still lounging beside Conrad on the couch, flopped backward dramatically and beamed. "Of course it is! It's like a dream come true."

Conrad watched her from the corner of his eye, that slow smile tugging at his lips again.

Steven looked scandalized. "I'm sorry. Like, Belly? My sister? Like—that thing right there?"

Belly snorted. "Shut up, cretin."

Susannah was beaming. "Okay, this is going to be so much fun. There's the tea, the auction, the ball..."

Jennifer clapped her hands. "We need to write this down."

Susannah nodded. "And shopping! We have to go shopping."

"Yes!" Jennifer cried.

Emberyln sat upright. "Did I just hear shopping? My favorite thing ever!"

Laurel, still behind her laptop, sighed. "This sounds... expensive."

"Oh, don't worry, Laur," Susannah said. "It's on me. It was my idea after all."

Jennifer added, "And we still need to style you two for my book party."

Laurel turned to Belly. "Are you sure you want to do this? It doesn't seem very you."

August offered dryly, "It's not her, though."

Jennifer sighed. "August, could you please be a little more supportive?"

Then, like a lightning bolt: "Now, which one of you is going to escort Emmy and Belly to the ball?"

Conrad immediately sat up. "Not me. I went last year."

Emberyln froze, disappointment curling in her stomach. She tried not to let it show, but her gaze lingered on Conrad.

Jeremiah jumped in. "Yeah, and I swore off balls. The dances, dude."

"Wow, guys. Stop fighting over me," Belly joked, raising an eyebrow. "I'm not going with either of you. I'll find my own date."

Emberyln smiled thinly. "I guess I'll do the same."

Laurel, scrolling on her screen, added absently, "Wikipedia says debutante balls require instruction in morals and social etiquette."

"I'm going for a swim," Conrad muttered, standing up.

Emberyln stood quickly. "Hey... can I join?"

He paused, looked at her, then nodded. "Sure."

Susannah chimed from the fridge, "Quick swim, you two! We leave in two hours, and Emmy still does that whole post-swim hair routine."

Emberyln leaned over to kiss her cheek. "I love you. Actually, I love everyone in this room!" she announced, backing up the stairs with a grin.

August laughed. "She's in a chipper mood."

Emberyln rifled through her drawer and pulled out a soft lavender bikini with delicate bows on the sides.

She tossed it onto the bed, grabbed a fluffy white towel, and slid into the bathroom.

She changed quickly, towel-wrapped and hair tied up in a bun, then grabbed her sunscreen and flip-flops before heading back downstairs.

By then, the boys had left for work. Laurel was still typing away, Jennifer sat beside her with a notepad, and Belly was lazily spooning cereal into her mouth.

Emberyln waved and slipped out the back door.

The sun was higher now, casting golden ripples over the water. Conrad stood at the edge, feet half-buried in sand, staring at the tide.

Emberyln dropped her towel beside his and stretched her arms above her head. "Race you?"

Conrad gave her a side-glance. "You'll lose."

"We'll see about that."

When she surfaced, he was just a few feet away, hair plastered to his forehead, wiping salt from his eyes. She swam closer, then circled around him slowly, grinning.

"Tag," she said, poking his shoulder before darting away.

Conrad blinked in surprise, then lunged after her with a crooked grin. "Really?"

They laughed and splashed like little kids, the water between them bubbling with movement and laughter.

She shrieked when he got close, kicking away with practiced strokes, but he caught up easily, grabbing her ankle just enough to make her tumble backward into the water with a surprised giggle.

She emerged, spitting seawater and grinning wide.

"You're cheating," she gasped.

"You're slow," he countered, that same rare smile still tugging at his lips.

"Wow," she huffed.

Emberyln backstroked away, giggling. "This is the best part of summer."

Conrad nodded. "Yeah."

They floated for a while, drifted closer, quiet settling between them. Then—

"Hey," she said gently. "That whole ball thing... you really can't escort me?"

He looked at her then, eyes squinting slightly in the sun. "It's not that I don't want to."

"Okay..."

"I just... last year felt like playing a part I didn't audition for. I don't want to fake it again."

She frowned. "Who said you'd be faking anything with me?"

Silence.

"I just thought maybe... it'd be different if it was us." she added, voice small.

He watched her, chest rising and falling.

Then: "Maybe it would be."

She met his gaze.

And in that fragile moment, she didn't say what she really wanted to—that she had hoped this summer, maybe, they could stop being almost-somethings.

But instead, she splashed water at him and laughed. "You're still not off the hook. I'm asking again tomorrow."

He smiled. "Looking forward to it."

Emberyln pulled herself out of the pool, the water sliding down her skin as she grabbed her towel and wrapped it tightly around herself. The sun warmed her damp shoulders, but there was something else prickling at her—something unsaid.

She took a deep breath and turned back toward the pool.

Conrad was still in the water, arms folded on the ledge, chin resting on them, watching her. Quiet. Thoughtful. So very him.

"Conrad," she said, her voice light, but edged with something honest.

He looked up, the way he always did when she said his name like that—like he was bracing for something real.

"If you're... with her," she started, voice soft, eyes searching his, "then maybe don't say yes to being my escort."

A beat of silence stretched between them.

"What?" he asked, furrowing his brow. "I'm not with her."

Emberyln held his gaze. "You sure about that?"

He blinked. Didn't answer right away. She could see the thoughts flickering across his face like sunlight shifting underwater—uncertain, tangled.

"Because from where I'm standing," she added, her tone gentle but pointed, "it kind of looks like you are. Or at least like you don't know you are."

The air between them grew still.

Conrad sat up straighter in the pool, but didn't move closer. "I didn't think it was like that , but we're not dating he said finally. Quiet. Cautious.

Emberyln gave a small shrug, but there was something sad behind her smile. "Then figure it out. Before you offer to take someone else to a ball."

And with that, she turned and walked back inside, towel clutched around her, wet footprints trailing behind her on the deck—each one a quiet reminder of what was left unsaid.