Jeremiah Fisher

Last night I could barely sleep. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, the same question swirling around in my head: What will it be like to see you again? The anticipation had me restless, like a kid waiting for Christmas morning.

And now here I am, finally in Cousins, the only place where summers truly make sense. As soon as I drop my things in the bedroom of the beach house, I rush out the door without a second thought. I'm in such a hurry that I end up colliding with Conrad in the hallway.

"What's wrong?" I hear Belly ask in the distance.

I don't even stop, I barely utter a couple of words of apology and I continue on my way straight to the beach. Because that's where we've always promised to meet. That's where every summer begins and ends for me.

I just have to look up and there you are. Your smile appears, the one I've stored in my memory all year, and in that instant I run to you. There's nothing else. Just you.

The moment I hug you, the whole world shrinks to that moment. I lift you off the ground, spinning with you, laughing, as if that way I can make up for all the lost time.

"You took a long time!" you say, amused, but with a hint of reproach.

I smile, looking at you with my heart beating wildly. —Am I taking so long? Please… I've been running all year just to get to this moment.