"Why are you in such a hurry to get out of here today?" Steven asked me.

"Because Bryce comes back from his tournament," I reminded him, as I tossed a leftover plastic cup in the trash. "Which they won, by the way."

Steven just rolled his eyes, throwing away an empty fruit snacks wrapper.

"But I'm meeting him in exactly...." I trailed off to check my phone. "22 minutes. So I need to leave."

"Get out of here lovebird," Kylie said, coming up behind me. "I'll close up today."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure."

"You're our superior," Steven mocked, raising his eyebrows at me. "You can't leave before us."

"Shut up," I warned, grabbing my purse out from behind one of the folding tables. "I appoint Kylie as my fill-in."

"You can't do that," Steven declined.

"Well I just did."

He huffed at me, wrinkling his eyebrows in frustration as I left Ms. Wilcott's summer camp, heading out to my car.

Bryce had texted me earlier in the day, informing me that Clayton was giving him a ride back to his place once the boys got back to South Carolina.

I agreed to meet him at Clayton's for the sole reason that I'd get to be the first person to see him when he got back. Aside from Clayton's family.

The drive to Clayton's place was a little over 15 minutes, but I still beat the boys when I pulled into the driveway.

Great. I was alone with Clayton's parents. Again.

I turned off my car, leaning back in my seat.

Decision time again.

Do I wait out in my car for the boys to show up? Or do I go inside and spent time with Clarissa and Taylor, Clayton's parents?

The porch light flipped on.

I guess they saw me pull in.

I stepped out of my car, heading up to their front porch.

Clarissa stepped outside, greeting me on the porch.

"Hello," she said, with a smile.

"Hi," I said, with a small smile of my own. "Sorry to just show up to your house, I thought the boys would be here by-"

"Please don't worry about it," Clarissa said, opening the door for me. "You're welcome here any time."

I couldn't help but smile a little wider.

Taylor wasn't anywhere in the kitchen or the living room.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Clarissa asked me.

I shook my head. "Thank you though."

She retook her seat on the couch, beckoning me to sit next to her.

There was a scrapbook open on the table in front of her.

"I was going through Clayton's old baseball days," she admitted, with a slight blush on her cheeks. "Just reminiscing about when he was a little squirt that I used to have to remind to stop picking grass in the outfield and pay attention to the game." She let out a small laugh. "I'm such a mom, I know."

"It sounds cute."

She picked up the scrapbook, flipping a few pages before pointing to a picture.

A much younger Clayton had his arm swung around a young, scrawny-looking kid with brunette hair and bright blue eyes.

I'd recognize those blue eyes anywhere.

"I have so many embarrassing pictures of those two," Clarissa said, sipping on her tea.

"I'd love to see them."

She laughed, placing the scrapbook down on the table and heading over to the bookshelf tucked away in the corner.

It was filled to the brim with scrapbooks.

"I was a stay-at-home mom for a couple of years," she explained, as she ran her finger down the binding of a few scrapbooks, looking for the perfect one. "And in my spare time, I basically scrapbooked all my troubles away."

"Putting your time to good use I see."

She chuckled, pulling one of the scrapbooks off the shelf and coming back to sit next to me. "It was a little obsessive, I'll admit. But it helped to pass the time." She opened up the scrapbook to the first page. "I'm not a very good stay-at-home mom. Too much time."

The first picture was of Clayton and Bryce standing shoulder-to-shoulder in elementary school uniforms.

Clayton was staring at the camera, an annoyed look on his face. Bryce was beaming from ear-to-ear, and you could see a few of his teeth missing.

"I'm already in love with this," I said, a smile spreading across my face.

"Are you getting sentimental over the scrapbooks again?" Taylor's voice called from the kitchen.

"I'm not sentimental!" Clarissa called back. "Sophie's here, and I'm showing her."

Taylor came into the living room, peering over Clarissa's shoulder. "You're roping her into your sentimental-ism."

"That isn't a word."

Taylor just huffed, disappearing down the back hallway.

Clarissa flipped to the next page, which was of Clayton and Bryce playing baseball.

You'll never run out of baseball pictures.

The scrapbook went on to document their friendship.

There were pictures of them at birthday parties together. Pictures of them on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and basically every other holiday. There were pictures pre and post Clyde.

There were even some pictures with teenage Kayla. Kayla with braces, Kayla in a goth stage, even Kayla with her high school Prom date.

The last page was of Clayton riding Bryce's wheelchair down the hallway after Bryce's brain surgery, just a few months ago.

It's incredible to think how far we've come in just a short amount of time.

"I guess I've got to update it some more," Clarissa said, with a sigh. "Finding the time, I swear."

Tucked in the back of the scrapbook, but not made into a page yet, was of Clayton and Bryce on Clayton's signing day, Clayton all decked out in his University of Florida gear.

"It's a work-in-progress," Clarissa said, as the front door opened.

"Where's my Welcome Home celebration?" I heard Clayton call.

Clarissa just rolled her eyes.

I hopped up off the couch, turning right into the arms of Bryce Harrison.

"You'd think they went six months without seeing each other, rather than four days," Clayton commented, as I snuggled into Bryce's embrace.

"Be careful dear, your jealousy is showing," Clarissa said.

I couldn't contain my laughter.

Bryce gave me a light kiss before pulling an arm around my waist. "Hello Clarissa."

"So now I'm noticed?"

Bryce let me go, going over and giving her a hug.

"I thought I heard your voices," Taylor said, reappearing in the living room. "Be forewarned, your mother and Sophie were getting sentimental over the scrapbooks before your arrival."

"That's not a forewarning dad," Clayton declined. "That would be if you told us before we got here."

"Close enough."

"Which scrapbook?" Bryce asked, leaning over and opening the one of the coffee table, opening it to the picture of him and Clayton on their first day of elementary school together. "Oh God."

"See that face?" Clayton asked me. "That explains my entire childhood living with this woman."

Clarissa swatted him. "Don't speak of me in such a manner."

"Love you ma."

"You better."

~*~

"What are you doing?" I giggled, as Bryce swung our hands between us, before twirling me around.

I stumbled into his chest, laughing all the while.

"You're ridiculous," I informed him, burying my face into the crook of his neck.

He just hummed in agreement, wrapping his arms around my lower waist.

The two of us continued to walk, Bryce leading me backwards as I kept my arms wrapped around him.

"And you say I'm the ridiculous one?" he teased.

"Precisely."

He just hummed in agreement.

I unwrapped myself from him, and he rewrapped his hand around mine.

"I'm sorry that you're going to have to miss your tournament this weekend," I said, glancing over at him.

"Me too," he muttered, lightly tugging me over towards the ice cream parlor.

"Let me guess," I teased. "Rocky road?"

"Let me guess," he countered, with a teasing smile on his face. "Mint chocolate chip?"

"Touché."

I ordered a double scoop, and we started back out on our evening stroll.

"Just be careful this weekend, okay?" I asked, returning to our earlier conversation.

"I will," Bryce promised, offering me a cheeky smile.

"You'll be camping on the ground out in the wilderness and I'm sure there are lots of germs and-" I started, but he cut me off with a kiss.

Bryce made a face, pulling away. "You taste like mint chocolate chip."

"Then consider yourself lucky."

He chuckled, licking his Rocky Road. "I know how to take care of myself."

"I know you do. It's not you that I worry about, it's the idiots you're going with."

He continued to laugh, pulling me in close. "I'll keep a close eye on the guys."

I just shook my head, snuggling in close to his arms. "Just promise me that you'll be careful?"

"I promise."

~*~

"It's gorgeous here," Kylie gushed, as I stacked another chair. "There is a resort pool... Oh wait, no two of them. And there are hammocks out by one of them. And there are lounging chairs. And it's right on the beach-"

"Are you trying to make me feel bad?" I questioned, cutting her off as I finished stacking the remainder of the chairs here at Ms. Wilcott's summer camp.

"I'm just trying to get you excited."

"I'm already excited," I said, with a laugh. "You're just being a jerk."

"Well, maybe a little. You did leave me alone with Anderson the other day so you could go make out with Bryce."

"We did not make out."

"Shut up, you can't play the innocent card with your best friend."

I just let out a long sigh, shaking my head. "Okay, well I'm finishing up here and then I'll be headed your way."

Closing up at the summer camp took ten times longer by myself.

Kylie had left for the beach last night, and Steven and Clayton had left for the boys' camping trip around lunchtime.

Leaving just me.

I flopped down dramatically in the last chair left unstacked, surveying the room.

Now all I had to do was breakdown the folding tables and prepare next week's snack.

I went over to the stereo system, plugging in my Pandora station.

Solo, clean-up dance party.

It took me a little over an hour to finish, and by that time I wasn't even going to get to the beach until after dinnertime.

But it was worth it. A weekend of relaxation at a resort on the water. I couldn't think of anything that sounded more like summer.

The drive seemed to take twice as long as well, traffic backed up as everyone tried to make it home from work.

I eventually pulled into the resort, Kylie standing out on the porch waiting on me.

A group of us girls had gotten together to split a little room out on the beach.

"I brought you home leftovers!" Kylie called out, as I stepped out of my car. "You missed dinner but I'm so happy that you're here. This weekend is going to be so much fun and-"

"Can I get some help?" I called out, with a laugh.

Kylie's eyes widened from her position on the porch, and then she began to laugh as well.

"I'm sorry!" she called, descending the stairs and joining me out at my car. "I was just so excited to see you."

"I literally saw you yesterday," I reminded her, popping my trunk.

She threw her arms around me, catching me surprise. "But that wasn't vacation."

I pulled out my suitcase, handing Kylie my pillow and blanket. "I need to walk on the beach."

"Why?"

"I'm finally here," I said, shutting my trunk. "The sun may have set, but I need to feel the sand between my toes and smell the ocean. I need just that much."

This was my little getaway. And I wasn't going to spend one more second without it.

"I'll go with you!" Kylie volunteered, using her foot to open the door to our room. "Guys!" she called out. "We're going for a walk on the beach. Anyone want to come?"

Caroline peeked her head out from a side room. "I do."

Miranda was sitting on the couch, her iPad in her lap. "Too far into this game," she declined. "Maybe tomorrow."

"Hannah?" Kylie called out.

"Pooping!" Hannah called back.

"We'll leave her to poop in peace," Caroline said, as I dropped my suitcase off in the mini-kitchen.

I figured I'd get myself situated later.

And so the three of us trooped down to the beach.

As soon as my feet hit the sand, I let out a sigh of relief, running down by the water.

"You're such a child!" Kylie called after me, with a laugh.

"Under the sea," Caroline sang, spinning in circles. "Under the sea. Darlin' it's better, down where it's wetter, take it from me."

"Up on the shore they work all day," I sang back, "up in the sun they slave away."

The two of us turned to face Kylie.

She let out a long sigh, shaking her head. "While we devotin', full time to floatin', under the sea," she finished, while laughing.

I let out a sigh of content, splashing my feet around in the water.

This is where I was meant to be.

So what did you guys think about the little scrapbook bit? What about Bryce heading off on his camping trip with the guys? And Sophie's beach trip with the girls?

So I'm currently on vacation at the beach, which is ironic because so is Sophie. But I swear it wasn't planned that way.

Teaser: Bryce is coming down off the chemo, and it takes quite the beating on his body. So he has to back out on some plans that he's made with his friends... And things go really south, really fast.