𝒮𝓃ℴ𝓌 ℴ𝓃 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝒷ℯ𝒶𝒸𝒽－ ᶜᵒⁿʳᵃᵈ ᶠⁱˢʰᵉʳ.

𝓁𝒾𝓀ℯ 𝓉𝒽ℯ ℴ𝓁𝒹ℯ𝓃 𝒹𝒶𝓎𝓈 ⁰⁵

Florence's cheerful demeanor filled the kitchen as she entered, humming a tune in her head. She immediately noticed Laurel and Susannah engaged in a hushed conversation, their voices tapering off as soon as they caught sight of her. Sensing that something might be amiss, Florence couldn't help but inquire, her concern evident in her voice.

"Hey, what's going on?" Florence asked, her brow furrowing slightly. "Is something wrong?"

Susannah, caught off guard, quickly tried to reassure her. "Huh? No, sweetie, everything is alright," she replied, attempting to brush off Florence's suspicions. She moved to retrieve the plates from the shelf, hoping to divert the conversation. But Florence was not easily swayed.

Her skeptical look remained as she continued helping Susannah set up the table, even though the latter tried to resist it, telling the girl she didn't need to help.

"It's okay, I want to help," Florence insisted, knowing how important it was for her to contribute. Susannah reciprocated her smile, appreciating Florence's willingness to lend a hand.

"You're sure everything's alright, though? You both seemed a bit tense when I came in," Florence pressed, her instincts still telling her that there was more to the story.

Laurel, who had been quiet during their exchange, decided to interject. "It's nothing, Florence," she said, attempting to steer the conversation in a different direction. "Hey, high school's coming to an end. Any ideas for college?"

Florence raised an eyebrow, recognizing the diversion tactic. But she decided to play along for now.

"Well, I'm considering pursuing a degree in psychology," she replied, her enthusiasm evident. "I want to help people, you know? And I think psychology is a really interesting field."

Laurel nodded, impressed with Florence's passion. "That's wonderful, sweetie. I'm sure you'll do great in college too," she said, smiling at her.

Florence beamed, feeling a surge of excitement as she discussed her dreams with Laurel and Susannah. It was moments like these that reassured her that no matter what uncertainties lay ahead, she had a strong support system in her corner.

As the mothers began to bring out the food, the rest of the group trickled into the dining room, chattering excitedly about their day. Belly and Jeremiah were still damp from their swim in the ocean, and Steven was grinning from ear to ear while Conrad had a grumpy look gracing his face.

Everyone took their designated seats that had been the same every summer. Susannah and Conrad sat on either ends of the table while Jeremiah, Steven and Florence sat on one side and Laurel, Belly and Emilia would sit on the other side- there was just one less chair this time.

As everyone finally settled down on the dinner table, the scent of delicious food filled the air. Susannah, with a proud smile, announced, "tonight, Florence made her special salad, just like the old days."

Florence smiled at Susannah's mention of the old days, "I thought it would be a nice touch to bring back those memories," she said, feeling a sense of nostalgia wash over her.

However, Steven and Jeremiah were too busy laughing about something on Steven's phone, completely ignoring the delicious meal in front of them. This caused both mothers to give them stern looks, and Laurel finally spoke up, "Steven, I swear to God, if you look at that phone one more time, I'm putting it in the screen basket."

The boys continued chuckling at a joke, prompting Susannah to play good-cop-bad-cop, "it's just, we want to see your beautiful faces. Can dinner be a screen-free zone? You know, like the olden days."

Jeremiah nodded in agreement at his mother's request as he swiftly snatched Steven's phone from his hand and tossed it into the screen basket, eliciting cheers from Florence and Belly, who were eager for a distraction-free dinner. Steven shot Jeremiah a glare, clearly unhappy with the intervention.