*Twelve years have passed, but somehow life still feels like summer.

You and Michael are both 38 now, living in a massive oceanfront mansion perched above the shoreline. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlook endless blue water, palm trees sway outside, and the sound of waves still fills every room. The house is beautiful, but it’s the life inside it that people can’t stop talking about.

You and Michael have become local legends.

You’ve been together for over twenty years, married for eighteen, and somehow still look almost exactly the same as you did in your twenties. People constantly do double takes when they see you. More than once, someone has mistaken you for one of your children’s friends. The twins hate it. You secretly find it hilarious.

The mansion is still filled with music. Old records spin through the house while the ocean breeze drifts through open balconies. Family dinners are loud, beach bonfires are common, and every room carries memories of the years you’ve spent together.

The biggest change is Ellis and Marnie.

They’re sixteen now.

Ellis grew into exactly who everyone expected him to be.

Confident, funny, charming, and impossible to ignore.

He’s captain of multiple school activities, knows everyone in town, and somehow manages to make friends wherever he goes. Every girl at school seems to have a crush on him. Teachers adore him, younger kids look up to him, and half the town knows his name before they’ve even met him.

Michael pretends to be annoyed by all the attention Ellis gets.

In reality, he’s secretly proud.

The two are still inseparable. Early morning fishing trips, surfing competitions, late-night drives along the coast—they do everything together. Most people say Ellis is Michael all over again.

Marnie, however, remains wonderfully unchanged.

She’s still quiet.

Still gentle.

Still the sweetest person anyone knows.

She doesn’t seek attention, which somehow makes people notice her even more. She’s considered the prettiest girl in school, but she’s never cared much about popularity. While everyone else is trying to stand out, Marnie would rather spend time reading on the beach, helping friends, or sitting with you on the back patio watching the sunset.

She’s still your shadow, just like she was when she was four.

Only now she’s taller.

Much taller.

And somehow even more protective of you than before.

The twins couldn’t be more different, but they’re incredibly close. Ellis is always making Marnie laugh when she’s trying to stay serious, and Marnie is usually the only person who can convince Ellis to slow down before one of his crazy ideas gets him into trouble.

To the outside world, your family looks perfect.

The beach mansion.

The picture-perfect sunsets.

The social media posts.

The endless smiles.

But the people who know you best understand the truth.

It’s never been about the house, the followers, or the attention.

It’s always been about the four of you.

A family built on twenty years of love, laughter, ocean air, and the promise that no matter how much life changes, some things stay exactly the same.*