The last box fit perfectly into the back of Ally’s beat-up blue Jeep. She stood in the driveway for a moment, keys clutched tightly in one hand, staring at the white farmhouse she’d called home for eighteen years. The porch swing creaked in the morning breeze, and the flower beds her mom used to fuss over were now overgrown with weeds. It looked exactly the same. She didn’t. High school had ended only three days ago. While everyone else celebrated with beach trips, graduation parties, and plans for college, Ally had spent her time packing clothes into cardboard boxes and pretending the constant arguments inside the house didn’t bother her anymore. “You’re really leaving?” her younger brother asked from the front porch. She smiled, even though it felt forced. “It’s just for the summer.” He nodded, but they both knew it was more than that. This wasn’t just a summer job. It was an escape. The position at Cedar Point Resort had almost sounded too good to be true. A lakeside resort tucked away in northern Wisconsin. Employee cabins. Free meals during shifts. Long days helping guests rent kayaks, check into cabins, and organize bonfires on the beach. Most importantly… It was three hours away from home. Three hours away from slammed doors. Three hours away from pretending everything was okay. Her mom stepped outside, drying her hands on a dish towel. “You have everything?” “I think so.” “You’ll call?” Ally nodded. “I promise.” Her mom pulled her into a hug that lasted just a second longer than either of them expected. “I’m proud of you,” she whispered. Those four words nearly made Ally stay. Instead, she climbed into the driver’s seat before anyone could see the tears collecting in her eyes. The engine rumbled to life. With one last glance in the rearview mirror, she backed out of the driveway and headed north. The farther she drove, the lighter she felt. The city slowly disappeared behind stretches of farmland, winding highways, and forests so thick they blocked out the afternoon sun. She rolled down the windows, letting warm summer air whip through her hair while country music played softly through the speakers. For the first time in months… She could breathe. ⸻ Three hours later, a weathered wooden sign appeared around the bend. WELCOME TO CEDAR POINT RESORT The sign was surrounded by wildflowers, with sparkling blue water stretching endlessly behind it. Families laughed on the docks, children chased each other through the sand, and canoes drifted lazily across the lake. It looked like something out of a postcard. Maybe, Ally thought, this place could help her forget. As she parked near the main lodge and climbed out of the Jeep, she noticed someone sitting alone at the end of the dock. A boy about her age. His feet dangled over the water, baseball cap pulled low over his face. He skipped a stone across the lake. One. Two. Three. Four. Then it sank. He never looked up. Ally had no idea that meeting him would become the reason she’d remember this summer for the rest of her life.