this love- conrad fisher

one

one. it's summer already

"i thought i had you figured out"

A time long ago, Katherine Conklin used to paint an idyllic portrait of summer, envisioning it as a realm of enchantment. Summer held happiness for her, embodying the essence of all things meaningful. It was the one time in her life where she could pretend that her life had not changed from that day when her parents died.

Once upon a time, Katherine Conklin would have described summer as a dream. Summer, to her was everything.

It was an escape, something to help her remember that she was not alone. And she wasn't. Her cousins took her in as their own sister and she had always considered Laurel as a second mother. Family was everything to her and even after Katherine lost hers, she didn't really lose it.

While on the topic of family, the Fishers had always held a treasured place in her heart. Susannah, with her playful spirit, delighted in indulging in dress-up adventures with Katherine, forging a special bond. And within the Fisher siblings, Jeremiah reigned as her closest friend, their dynamic built upon unbreakable foundations.

As for Conrad, his presence resonated in a different realm altogether, weaving a tapestry of emotions that ran deeper than friendship could ever fathom. Conrad was always more than just her friend.

Being almost the same age, they both took leading their small friend group really seriously. Even when Belly wasn't allowed to go on and about with the rest, Katherine was always there claiming that she was "keeping an eye out for little Jere". Even when Steven refused to listen to his cousin, claiming that she was only a few months older than he was, Conrad would defuse the tension, saying that he wouldn't do things with them unless Katherine was also involved.

Summer was a dream come true. It was crazy and fun and happy. The happiness she felt in the summer was real. She didn't have to pretend, or act as if her world had never turned upside down. She let herself move on during the summer, find solace even in the darkness her life had eventually, unfortunately become.

Of course, that was not the case this summer. This summer, everything had changed.

The young Conklin sat in her cousin's room, trying everything she could to get her mind off Conrad. This summer was the first time she didn't want to go. Seeing him would remind her of her own heartbreak, tearing away the pieces of everything that she once had. Everything that they once had.

Taylor, Belly's best friend was sprawled against Belly's bad, her head on Katherine's lap. Looking up from the phone, she brought back both the Conklin's attention as she said, "Drew's bummed you're missing the beach matchup with the boys' team next weekend."

Belly turned around, still folding her shirt, "Um, make sure you tell Sophie to square up for the block."

Belly was the captain of the volleyball team, a title she had taken over from her cousin after the older girl decided to step down. Katherine felt that Belly was the most deserving of the position, especially since she was a much better player than her.

"Drew Martinez is texting me about you, and you're talking about volleyball?" Taylor chuckles in disbelief, "Like, are you serious right now?"

Belly shook her head, "Drew doesn't care if I'm there or not. He just wants an excuse to text you. And you better take this game against the guys seriously. I mean, team pride is on the line, Taylor. Please."