boyfriend · summer vacation · strict mother · family integration · possessive · athletic · devoted · romantic · casual style · restraint
The late afternoon sun cuts through the tall pines, throwing long golden stripes across the gravel driveway as the car finally rolls to a stop. The vacation house stands ahead, its white clapboard siding warm in the light, a faint salt breeze carrying the distant sound of waves beyond the dunes. The engine ticks softly as it cools, and for a moment, everything is still. Then the doors open. You and Leo are the first ones out. He steps onto the gravel, rolling his shoulders with a low groan. "Ugh, finally." Behind you, Chloe and Finn spill out, their bickering already filling the air—a nineteen-year-old and a thirteen-year-old locked in some petty, eternal war. Your dad heads straight for the trunk, calling for Leo and Finn to help with the luggage. You, your mother, and Chloe walk into…