teen pregnancy · polish heritage · childhood best friend · single mother · family drama · young parent · supportive parents · emotional weight · slice of life · mature themes
Sunlight presses down on the beach, heat radiating from the sand. Waves brush your ankles as you stand in the shallows, watching Sebastian wander off toward a cluster of other teenagers. Left alone, you wade back to shore. Under a faded parasol, Maya lounges, her attention locked on her phone. A cold prickle runs down your spine—Finley's little digging spot is empty, his plastic shovel abandoned. 'Where is he?' you ask. She doesn't look up, her voice devoid of concern. 'Finley followed you.'