Summer At The Shore

She let out a yap and then raced toward the front door. Jay shook his head and followed. He supposed he was lucky in a sense, because if he was going to accidentally foster a dog, at least he’d gotten a smart one.

With Coastie trotting beside him, they headed inside, where Jay was enveloped by the heavenly aroma of garlic, onions and spices that made up the unmistakable scent of Gran’s Bolognese sauce. The smell made his heart ache with love and longing for his deceased grandmother even as it made his stomach yearn for pasta. He dropped his bags. He’d seen his little brother Levi through the window, but he hadn’t been expecting Josie. She was the only person in his life, outside of Gran, who could make this sauce.

Josie’s presence meant he wasn’t surprised to see his little sister Laney, too, who was now throwing herself into his arms.

“Jay, hi! I’ve missed you so much.”

“Hey there, little one. I miss you, too. So much.” He hugged her close, a mix of love and affection tightening his chest. “Not so little, though, huh? You’ve grown since I saw you last.”

“You think?” Stepping away, she beamed at him. His fifteen-year-old sister had dreams of hitting the six-foot mark, a goal she felt she needed to attain in order to get to college on a volleyball scholarship. As it was, she was only a couple inches shy.

Levi was next. “Hey, buddy,” he said, pulling him in for a hug. At sixteen, Levi had recently hit the six-foot mark and Jay suspected he would eventually surpass his own six foot four inches.

And finally, his sister Josie. “Hi.” She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. Jay felt his heart squeeze with a special kind of love, a love he knew that only a brother and sister who’d been through a hell like theirs could know. Aside from the surprise, and the speculation as to the reason for this unannounced visit, he was filled with utter joy to see his siblings.