Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Three: The Summer Before College
The summer before college was a gift.
Lina knew it even before it began. She knew that these months would be the last time the twins lived at home, the last time she would see them every day, the last time she would wake up to the sound of their voices and go to sleep knowing they were safe under her roof.
She was determined to make every moment count.
---
Lily spent her days with friends, going to the pool, the mall, the beach. She was soaking up every last drop of high school, every last memory, every last moment with the people she had grown up with.
Leo spent his days in his room, reading, taking notes, preparing for college. He was quiet, thoughtful, already halfway out the door.
Lina watched them both and felt a strange mix of pride and sadness.
They were leaving.
But they were still here.
For now.
---
Lina planned a family vacation.
She chose the beach—the same beach where they had spent so many summers, the same beach where she had learned to let go, the same beach where Ethan had fallen in love with her all over again.
The whole family came. Victoria and Victor and Katherine. David and his half-siblings. Maya and her mother. Emily and Hope.
They rented a large house on the shore, with a porch overlooking the ocean and a path that led down to the sand.
Lina stood on the porch, watching her family, and felt something she had not expected.
Gratitude.
Not for the presents. Not for the party. For the life she had built. For the people who had chosen her. For the love that had carried her through the darkest moments.
Ethan came up behind her and put his arms around her waist.
"What are you thinking?" he asked.
Lina was quiet for a moment.
"I'm thinking about how lucky we are," she said.
Ethan kissed her cheek.
"We are," he said. "We really are."
---
The week was a blur of sun and sand and slow, lazy days.
The twins built sandcastles with Hope. Sprinkles chased the waves. Sky sat on Lily's shoulder and chirped. Sunflower stayed in her cage, running on her wheel.
Lily tried to teach Leo how to surf. Leo tried to teach Lily about tides. They argued and laughed and argued some more.
Lina watched them and thought about all the summers they had spent here. The first time, when the twins were four and she was still learning to remember. The second time, when they were five and she was still learning to trust. The third time, when they were six and she was still learning to hope.
And now this time.
The last time before college.
She held onto every moment.
She treasured them.
She let them go.
---
On the last night, they built a fire on the beach.
The family gathered around, roasting marshmallows, telling stories, laughing.
Lily talked about her plans for college—the classes she would take, the friends she would make, the performances she would give.
Leo talked about his plans—the research he would do, the professors he would learn from, the discoveries he would make.
Lina listened to all of it.
She did not cry.
She smiled.
She was proud.
---
Lily found her on the beach after everyone had gone to bed.
"Mama," she said, sitting beside her. "Can I ask you something?"
Lina put her arm around her daughter. "Anything."
"Are you scared? About us leaving?"
Lina was quiet for a moment.
"Terrified," she said.
Lily leaned into her. "Me too."
Lina held her daughter.
"But we're going to be okay," Lina said. "Both of us. We're going to be okay."
Lily nodded.
"I know," she said. "I just... I'm going to miss you."
Lina's eyes filled with tears.
"I'm going to miss you too," she said. "More than you know."
They sat on the beach, holding each other, while the waves crashed against the shore.
---
The summer ended too quickly.
Lina stood at the door, watching the twins pack their suitcases. Lily's room was half empty, her walls bare, her closet sparse. Leo's room was neat and organized, everything in its place.
"Are you ready?" Lina asked.
Lily nodded. "I'm ready."
Leo nodded. "I'm ready."
Lina hugged them both.
"I love you," she said. "I'm so proud of you. You're going to do great things."
Lily hugged her back. "Thanks, Mama."
Leo hugged her back. "We'll be fine."
They walked out the door.
Lina stood in the doorway, watching them go.
They looked back.
They waved.
She waved back.
She cried.
Ethan put his arm around her.
"They're going to be fine," he said.
Lina leaned into him.
"I know," she said. "But I'm still going to miss them."
"That's your job."
They stood in the doorway, holding each other, while their children walked out of their childhood and into the future.
---
That night, Lina sat on the couch with Ethan.
The penthouse was quiet. Too quiet. The twins' rooms were empty. Their voices were gone. Their laughter was silent.
"How do you feel?" Ethan asked.
"Empty," Lina said. "Not in a bad way. Just... empty. Like I've been carrying something for so long that I forgot what it felt like to put it down."
Ethan put his arm around her. "That's called pride."
"Is that what this is?"
"I think so."
Lina leaned into him.
"They're gone," she said. "They're really gone."
Ethan kissed her forehead.
"They are," he said. "But they'll come back. They'll always come back."
Lina closed her eyes.
She thought about all the years ahead. The challenges. The joys. The moments she would hold her children and the moments she would have to let them go.
She was not ready.
But she was learning.
And learning, she was beginning to understand, was the most important part of love.
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End of Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Three