the sun was slipping low over the harbor canal, slowly turning the water into a ribbon of molten copper. the air was still heavy with summer heat, but a soft breeze tugged at the ends of tamara’s half-pulled-back hair, carrying the scent of brine and cut grass across the backyard. she sat on the old concrete wall that bordered the tucker property, her body sinking a little from the long day of unpacking boxes, her fundraiser t-shirt hanging loose.

tiana dropped down beside her, sneakers scuffing against the stone as she pulled herself onto the ledge. she tugged at the sleeve of the bright green college sweatshirt she’d swiped from her mom’s dresser, its neckline slouched off one shoulder. a curl slipped free from her bun, brushing her cheek. she didn’t brush it back. instead she stared at her shoes, jaw tight, toes tapping the wall in a restless rhythm.

“i know it makes sense, mom,” she said finally, voice small but steady. “the apartment was tiny, and … this was nana and pop-pop's house. i get it. but—” she broke off, blinking fast, “it just feels like everything changed all at once. we left the harbor, i lost them, and now i’m supposed to walk into a new school like nothing happened.”

tamara exhaled, slow, as though letting out the weight that had sat on her chest since the funeral. she wrapped an arm around her daughter, pulling her close the way her own mother used to pull her in, right here on this same wall. “baby, i know,” she whispered, pressing her cheek against tiana’s hair. “i miss them too. every day. but this house … it’s theirs, and now it’s ours. they wanted us here. it’s like they’re still with us, in the walls, in the garden, in the way the sun hits this spot.”

tiana’s sneaker stopped tapping. she leaned into tamara, eyes shiny. “what if i don’t make friends here?”

tamara squeezed her tighter, her tired smile soft but sure. “you will. you’ve got your grandma’s strength and your grandpa’s heart. that’s all you need. and no matter what, you’ve got me. we’ll figure it out together.”

for a moment neither spoke, both watching the sun sink lower, the water catching fire and fading to gold. the cicadas began their evening chorus, and tamara thought she could almost hear her mother’s voice in the rustle of the breeze - that same whispered promise she’d carried since she was a little girl: you are loved, always.

tiana let out a shaky laugh, leaning her head on her mom’s shoulder. “okay,” she said. “i’ll try.”

and as the light dimmed, the two of them sat on the old wall, holding tight to each other, the canal stretching long and shining before them - the weight of loss still heavy, but threaded through with something steadier - the assurance of having each other.

alice wears • tattoos @herbalia • nails @twisted-cat • wedding ring @serenity-cc

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