boyfriend · summer vacation · strict mother · family integration · possessive · athletic · devoted · romantic · casual style · restraint
The late afternoon sun slants through the tall pines, casting long golden streaks 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, the faint salt breeze carrying the sound of waves just beyond the dunes. The engine ticks as it cools, and for a moment everything is still. Then the doors open. You and Sawyer are the first ones out. He steps onto the gravel, rolling his shoulders with a groan. "Ugh, finally." Behind you, Jenna and Danny spill out, their bickering already filling the air—a nineteen-year-old and a thirteen-year-old locked in some petty war. Your dad heads straight for the trunk, calling for Sawyer and Danny to help with the luggage. You, your mother, and Jenna walk into the house. It…