“What about Stephen?” Aliyah presses.
“No, we haven’t talked,” I say tersely.
“Mase, you know how much I love you,” she says gently, fingers resting on my forearm.
I instantly tense, knowing I’m about to receive some tough love.
“I have a complicated relationship with my own father,” Aliyah continues, her voice steady. “So I understand how you feel. My dad’s made tons of mistakes. But here’s the thing.” She inhales slowly, letting the words settle. “It’s clear Maddie has formed a bond with Stephen over the summer. She loves him. By trying to take that away, you’ll only push her further from you.”
I swallow hard, grateful for the sunglasses hiding the sting of my watery eyes. Deep down, I know she’s right, but it’s a tough pill to swallow.
“Yeah,” I murmur, clearing my throat. “I know.”
“You had good memories with Stephen before he left,” she says cautiously. “And he’s sober now, right?”
I nod. “Three years.”
She tilts her head, her tone careful but steady. “Is it so hard to believe he’s changed?”
My fingers toy with the whistle hanging from my neck as memories flicker through my mind—Stephen steadying the back of my bike as I wobbled down the driveway, Saturday movie marathons on the couch, the two of us building sandcastles on the beach. He was a good dad once. Before the drinking and drugs took a hold of him, we were inseparable.
I stare out at the lake, watching waves roll in and break against the shore. The rhythmic sound fills the silence between us.
“Just think about it, okay?” Aliyah says after a moment. “I’m here if you ever want to talk.”
Her posture straightens as she scans the water again. A second later, she lifts her megaphone to her mouth, her tone shifting to something sharper and commanding. “Hey! Stay inside the buoys!”
A few swimmers glance back guiltily. Aliyah plants a hand on her hip. “I don’t care how confident you are—if you go out there, Iwilldrag you in myself!”
I crack a small smile as I lean back against the railing of the lifeguard tower. The sun warms my skin, but the comfort it brings is fleeting.
Once, this beach was my sanctuary. Now it’s haunted by memories I can’t escape—warm brown eyes, dark hair glinting in the light, a familiar soft voice tangled in the breeze. When I feel the sand beneath my toes, I’m reminded of all the lunch breaks I spent with Hunter on the dunes. When I stare at the water, I think about cradling him against my chest when I taught him how to swim, kissing and laughing until our lungs ached.
Everywhere I look, I only see him.
***
As I sit on the couch beside Mom, the blue glow of the television washes over her, softening the sharp angles. A game show blares from the screen, laughter filling the room, too loud and too cheerful for how hollow it feels here.
She’s lost more weight. Her sweater hangs off her frame, swallowing her frail body. The mug in her hand isn’t coffee, but a half-empty protein shake. It’s all she can keep down lately. She lifts the plastic straw to her lips, sips, and sets it back in her lap with a heavy exhale.
Distantly, I catch Maddie’s muffled voice through the walls, quick and hushed. I can’t make out the words. Maybe she’s on the phone with Stephen. The thought makes my stomach knot.
“She’ll come around,” Mom says softly, following my gaze to Maddie’s closed door.
I clear my throat, glancing back at the television. “I know.”
She’s silent for a beat, staring into my eyes like she’s trying to choose her words carefully. “Maddie loves you. She only wants what’s best for you. After I’m gone… she doesn’t want to be your burden.”
My head snaps toward her. “She’s not a burden,” I say firmly. “And Stephen might hurt her.”
Mom sighs, shoulders drooping. “Your father’s not a monster, sweetheart. He’s made mistakes—plenty of them—but he’s grown since we separated.”
A sharp huff escapes me. “Sounds like you’re defending him.”
She shakes her head gently. “I’m not excusing the past, but people can change.”
I drop my gaze to the blanket draped across our laps, fingers fussing with the frayed tassels. “Yeah, I know.”
