Only for the Summer

"Engfa!" My mom rushes off the porch to greet us. Her thin figure is hidden under a flowing white outfit. She places her cool hands on my cheeks as if taking a moment to take in that I'm here.

"Hey, Mom." I smile. She puts her arms around me, and I relax for a moment. The warm summer air blows around us.

"Hey, kiddo," my dad says, sneaking in a big hug. He isn't much for hugs, but it's been a while since we've seen each other.

"And who's this?" My mom wiggles an eyebrow expectantly. I had forgotten to tell them that Char was coming with me.

"This is my girlfriend, Charlotte." It feels weird saying the words aloud. I'm thankful Sun is still outside; no way he would've let that go without a comment."

"Pleasure to meet you both. Your house is lovely," she says all proper. I have to stifle my laughter.

"Oh thank you, it's a family home. Been in the family for three generations now," my dad says proudly.

"Welcome! It's so nice to meet you!" My mom embraces Char like a long-lost daughter and gives her an elongated hug, leading her into the house.

I stand back, helping Sun get our bags and taking a second to look around. The house looks the same yet different since the last time I was here. It has always been nicknamed the house from The Notebook by the neighborhood. The tan siding has a fresh coat of paint, with the tall windowpanes just a bit brighter white. The wooden wraparound porch looks as it always did, the white swing inviting and waiting for someone to sit. There are a few new elements: the wooden porch chairs, the throw pillows, and the light-pink curtains inside.

My mother always has a habit of redecorating every few years. It drives my dad a bit crazy, but he'll go along with it, a huge smile on his face matching hers. The flowers have grown beautifully this year. The weather must have been kind to them.

I roll my suitcase up the porch and into the doorway. My mom and Char are nowhere in sight, which only slightly worries me. My mother won't embarrass me in front of her, right? I mean I am a grownup; how much damage can she do? Instead of calming my nerves, it excites them. Letting every terrible thing my mother can tell her flash before my eyes.

"MOM?!" I call a little too loudly.

Sun and my dad are still outside, but I peek into the kitchen, the dining room, and the downstairs guest room before looking upstairs. My suitcase hits each step with a bump and creaks, letting them know I'm on the way up.

Stopping at the top of the stairs, I put my suitcase in the corner of the hallway. I pass by my old room and keep looking. I pause to see if I hear any sounds when my mother's laugh ricochets down the hallway. For as proper as my mother is, her laugh does not match her personality.

"Oh, good, darling. You found us!" My mom smiles as I reach the second-floor balcony in the second guest room.

Char and my mother stand overlooking the Seaside in its entirety. The crashing blue waves and beautiful mountains are the only backgrounds to Char. The pink curtains blow in the breeze behind them, and the glass doors open entirely. There are two wooden rocking chairs on the porch overlooking the ocean.

"I heard your laughter. You'd be a terrible spy," I joke.

"I was telling her about the time we met," Char says with a laugh.

My eyes go wide, and I groan. That isn't exactly a story I want my family to hear.

"Oh come on, it wasn't that funny." I shoot Char a look.

I had just started working in a salon in London, unbeknownst to me that's infamous for pranking its employees. So, I was fully confident when I walked into my first hairdressing appointment as a professional hairdresser. I had only introduced myself to Char when I fell backward, into a puddle of blue hair dye. When our uniform was white pants and a black shirt.