Page 46 of The Beach Shack Summer
“Shut up.” She threw a pillow at him. “You okay about tomorrow?”
“Terrified. You?”
“Same. But we’ll manage.”
“The Walsh family motto number two: We’ll manage.”
“Somehow that’s less inspiring than ‘we show up.’”
“But more accurate.”
They sat there, listening to the faint bass line from Stella’s music, the distant sound of waves, the quiet hum of a house adjusting to its new configuration.
“Think she’ll actually come tomorrow?” Tyler asked.
“She asked about it three times. That’s basically a yes in teenage.”
“Is it?”
“I have no idea. But it sounds right.”
Tyler laughed, soft and tired. “We’re so bad at this.”
“Spectacularly bad.”
“But she ate the pesto.”
“She did eat the pesto.”
“Progress,” they said together.
Stella reappeared in the hallway. “So when do I meet this cousin everyone keeps mentioning?”
Tyler and Meg exchanged glances. “You want to meet Bea?”
“Might as well get it over with.” Stella shrugged, but there was curiosity beneath the indifference.
“I can call Anna,” Meg offered, checking the time.
Five minutes later, they were crowded around Meg’s laptop at the kitchen table. Anna’s face filled the screen, bright and eager.
“Stella! I’m so happy to finally meet you!”
Stella shifted uncomfortably. “Yeah. Hi.”
“Bea!” Anna called. “Come meet your cousin!”
A girl appeared on screen—dark hair, paint-stainedfingers, Anna’s eyes. “Oh my god, hi! This is so cool! I can’t believe we have a cousin!”
“Yeah, wild,” Stella said flatly.
An awkward pause. Bea’s enthusiasm dimmed slightly. “So... you’re from Sydney? That must be amazing. All those beaches.”
“It’s okay.”
“Bea’s learning to paint,” Anna offered. “She’s really talented.”
“Cool.” Stella was already edging away from the screen.
