One Perfect Summer

Contains mention of serious illness.

There was a certain finality in the way the sun set at night, whisking away all its colors and leaving the world in darkness. So beautiful and bright, a million colors streaking across the sky, and then…nothing.

With Cecelia, it was much the same. She was gorgeous, hair wild and red to match her bright personality. She was obsessed with the ocean, almost as much as she was obsessed with having a good time. And when she arrived on June 18th on the shores of Seashell Cove, the world became something more.

The ocean and its sandy shores became a hidden paradise, one the sun shone down upon fondly. Families laughed as they hauled their beach carts and set up in little circles dotting the shoreline, children running into the waves with their parents close behind. At dusk, the beach cleared little by little, handing its responsibilities to the boardwalk. Lit up in vibrant colors, people emerged from their houses to walk its length and explore its shops and attractions. And even still, there were other hidden landmarks popping up–ice cream shops, and hushed parties in the huge houses. It was the sign of the start of summer, which ironically arose at the same time as Cecelia’s arrival.

But unironically, a change also began in Eli. He was a football star in his home town, here for the summer to stay with his friend in a desperate attempt to escape his parents. He was more preoccupied with earning a scholarship to college than anything else, which is why his interest in Cecelia took him by surprise. He had been out on the balcony when she pulled in, her car the only sound in the quiet night. When she stepped out, she threw her hair over her shoulder and surveyed her surroundings–and that’s when they locked eyes.

She smiled and waved. “Care to join me for a swim?”

He laughed. “Okay.”

It was nearly midnight, but he liked her offer. Coming off yet another school year full of academics and training, this was new and different. And as he joined the new girl in the alley between their two houses, he realized this was the impression Cecelia herself gave. Bright. Promising. Bold.

They walked towards the ocean, and Eli was surprised at how easy she was to talk to. She was interested in everything he said, and caring in a way that made him even more intrigued by her. By the time they reached the water, he felt as if they were already becoming friends.

But then his thoughts side tracked as she took off her shirt, revealing an aquamarine bathing suit underneath. She really was gorgeous. And he found himself wanting to reach out…but then she was turning away, laughing into the night as she ran into the ocean. There was no fear in her body, no sign of hesitation as she dove head first into the waves. Against the glow of the moonlight, the scene looked straight from a movie, one that Eli felt lucky he had stumbled into. So he abandoned his towel, following in after her.

When he met her in the ocean, she moved closer to him.

“Eli,” She whispered, and his name had never sounded more perfect.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he pulled her in at the waist. They were so close, they shared a breath. It was a powerful feeling, a rush as their hearts beat too fast and bright sparks ignited in both their bodies. Waves lapped quietly around them, the near silence seeming to emphasize the magnitude of this moment. And then Eli leaned forward, enveloping his mouth with Cecelia’s. And that’s how it began.

In the following weeks Eli would find that, much like the ocean, he would follow Cecelia anywhere. She showed him her favorite coffee place on the corner of 50th, a quaint bookstore on 10th. He had never bothered to read before, but when Cecelia suggested they pick out something to read together on the beach he could hardly resist.

Sprawled out on the sand with the towel beneath him and her head on his chest, he had been attempting to read the book she had picked out for him when she tapped his arm.

“You really do have horrible taste.” She laughed, holding up the book he had picked for her.

He smiled, leaning down and kissing her nose. “Not in what matters.”

Her blush and accompanying smile made his heart skip a beat.

Besides the bookshops, the cafes, the ice cream parlors, and the boardwalk, Cecelia also knew of hidden alcoves that others had trouble finding. She managed to charm them into several house parties, where she would introduce him to her friends and he would meet all sorts of people. Usually, by the end of these parties he would have a list of contacts in his phone, which proved useful on the beach.

“Invite your friends, and I’ll invite mine. It’ll be like our own party.” Cecelia would say with a smile.

And suddenly there would be at least a dozen of them on the beach, forming their own cluster that quickly became its own group of friends. Inside jokes and laughter, truths and dares, random side quests.

Sometimes Eli would look around in wonder, seeing all the new faces and connections that had formed since Cecelia had arrived. He would laugh with his new friends, or walk past one of the many places the two of them had ventured into and he would feel grateful for it all. Everything seemed brighter, more exciting.

And then there was Cecelia herself. His Cecelia. She would suggest they dress up together to get dinner, or race him to the waves and giggle as he kissed her nose. She would insist on going on the ferris wheel together, he would buy her a duck stuffed animal because she found their “quacks” funny. She would burrow into him as they watched her favorite movie together, and he would tease her as they played catch on the beach.

She made him feel like the luckiest boy alive.

“You’re perfect together, man.” His new friend Declan would say with a laugh. “How long have you been together?”

And Eli would swallow a lump in his throat. “Not together, just dating.”

Declan looked at him doubtfully.

But it was true. For as perfect as it all felt, as perfect as it was, there was no label. There were a million memories made together, stolen kisses with promises embedded in them, and in Eli’s mind she was always his Cecelia. And yet…there had been no talk of becoming official.

So when they neared the end of August, Eli didn’t know what would happen. Until he did. It was the morning of the 27th when he looked out his window and saw Cecelia’s car filled with luggage. And then there was Cecelia herself wearing his favorite hoodie, tears streaming down her face. His heart broke for her, but he was frozen as he watched her walk across the alley to his house. Heard her knock on the door. Shaking himself, he ran down the stairs and was met with her wiping more tears from her eyes.

She held out an envelope with his name written across the front.

“Thank you,” she sniffled. “for the perfect last summer.”

He reached out to her, but she was already walking away. Getting in her car. Driving.

Later he would open the letter. He would find out that it was true that she loved him, more than she loved the ocean, ducks, and life itself. In another lifetime, she would have asked for forever with him. But it was this lifetime, and she was sick. Stage four cancer.

Eli cried, failing to understand how the world could be so colorful and then in a moment there could be nothing but darkness.

One thought echoed again and again in his mind as he drove back to his small town.

Summer was over and so were we.