ᴍʏ ɢɪʀʟ || ᴄᴏɴʀᴀᴅ ғɪsʜᴇʀ

laurel and julia

Conrad and I walk up the beach hand in hand.

"I still get those nicknames right?" I giggle.

"Of course baby." He smiles.

We get close to the house, and drop our hands.

"Hey Conrad?" I ask.

"Yes, we don't have to tell anyone right now until everything is better and everyone is on good terms." He says.

"I hate you." I tease.

"Didn't you just make out with me on the beach just not?" He teases as I laugh. "Or was that a different hot girl with a fat ass?"

"Conrad!" I shriek with a laugh.

We go inside, and everyone is downstairs, sitting in silence.

"Oh, Val." My mom sighs of desperation. "Can we talk outside?"

"Uh," I hesitate as I look at Conrad who nods. "Yeah, sure."

We go out back, and sit on the steps, with my knees to my chest, and my mom sits next to me.

"I'm sorry for hitting you." She says.

"You've never done that before." I say.

"I know, I'm sorry." She sighs.

"Okay." I say.

"Look, I know I haven't been the best mother recently, and I'm sorry." She says. "I just..."

"You just what mom?" I ask.

"I just miss her so much." She says as a tear rolls down her cheek. My mom never told me about her feelings.

"I do too." I say. "But that gives you know excuse to be the way you are to your children."

"I had no other way of expressing it." She says.

"Look, I get that you don't like to talk about your feelings and I get that, but when you wanna own up to how you feel instead of using it as an excuse, you come talk to me." I say as I stand up and walk to the door.

"Val wait!" My mom cries.

Something happened to me. I couldn't resist sitting back down next to her.

"What." I say. I wasn't ready to forgive her.

"I wanted to be strong for you guys." She cries. "But I didn't want to seem weak."

"Mom, what makes you weak is the fact you. and express your emotions without feeling weak." I say. "Softness is not weakness."

"I know. And I should've just told you how I feel." She says. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay." I say.

"Really?" She asks.

"It'll take time for me to...forgive you for how you treated us, but I'm willing to take the step in allowing myself to." I sigh.

My mom looks at me and hugs me, and I freeze, but eventually hug her back.

"I love you so much Valarie, i'm so proud of you." She cries

"I...," I hesitate. "I love you too."

We go back inside, and we all sit in the kitchen, and I stand close to Conrad.

"Okay." My mom sighs. "So, I will talk to Julia."

"Thank you Laurel!" Jeremiah smiles as he hugs her.

"But, this place needs to be cleaned up." She laughs.

"Figured." Conrad laughs.

"Steven and Taylor, that means that you actually have to help, not just sneak off and make out." My mom teases. Steven and Taylor had become a thing.

"Uh! Excuse me!" Taylor laughs.

"How did you even know?" Steven laughs.

"You guys aren't slick." My mom teases.

"Okay, whatever." Steven giggles.

I look over at Conrad, and he's standing with his arm on the counter, already smiling at me.

I smile back, and look away.

We all start cleaning, and Conrad and I go upstairs to clean.

"Thank god barely anyone came up here." I laugh.

"Yeah." He smiles.

I go to respond, but he pushes my against the wall with his hand gently wrapped around my neck, as he kisses me.

One hand stays on my throat, and the other goes to my waist, as my hands go to his hair.

We hear someone walking up the stairs, and Conrad pulls away, and we go back to acting like we were cleaning.

"Hey Val?" Skye asks.

"Yeah?" I ask.

"Can we talk about something?" They ask.

"Of course, let's go to my room." I smile. We go into my room, leaving Conrad out in the hallway. "What's up?"

"So, you know how Cam and I kissed at the party?" Skye asks.

"Yeah." I reply.

"I really like him, but I'm not sure what to do." Skye sighs. "I don't know how relationships work."

"My biggest advice is just say how you feel, no matter how scary or bold it is, it needs to be said." I say. "Do you think Conrad and I would be back together if we were never bold?"

"Yeah- Wait what?" Skye laughs.

"Don't tell anyone, but yeah we're back together." I smile. "But back to Cam, it's obvious that he likes you back, just tell him how you feel."

"I went to his house yesterday when he went to go get stuff for the party, and it was really fun." They smile.

"Do you want me to get Conrad for a boys perspective?" I ask.

"That would be great." They laugh.

I go open my door, and lean out in the hallway.

"Hey, Connie?" I ask.

"Yes baby?" He asks. "Wait I-"

"I told Skye we're together, it's fine." I giggle. "We need your advice, specifically Skye."

"Okay." He laughs as he walks into my room.

"How does a boy show that he likes you back?" Skye asks.

"It's obvious Cam likes you." Conrad laughs.

"See!" I giggle.

"Okay, we'll how do you know that?" Skye laughs.

"If you can tell that he genuinely cares about you, and it's like he's willing to spend every second with you, that's a hint." Conrad says. "But...it's more that you just...know."

Skye goes to respond, but Jer runs in.

"Julia backed out of the sale!" Jeremiah smiles.

"What?" Conrad asks.

"We just have to convince dad to buy it!" Jer smiles.

"That's great!" Skye smiles.

Conrad and I smile at each other. And in that moment I knew that everything would be perfect.

Even if Susannah isn't with us, even if it's not the same, we would have the house back, and I was able to be with my favorite person. It was perfect.

My life went from mine to mine and Conrad's, because he is a part of me. And we love each other, more than words could explain.

The end.