Florence's cheerful demeanor filled the kitchen as she entered, humming a tune in her head. She immediately noticed Laurel and Susannah engaged in a hushed conversation, their voices tapering off as soon as they caught sight of her. Sensing that something might be amiss, Florence couldn't help but inquire, her concern evident in her voice.

"Hey, what's going on?" Florence asked, her brow furrowing slightly. "Is something wrong?"

Susannah, caught off guard, quickly tried to reassure her. "Huh? No, sweetie, everything is alright," she replied, attempting to brush off Florence's suspicions. She moved to retrieve the plates from the shelf, hoping to divert the conversation. But Florence was not easily swayed.

Her skeptical look remained as she continued helping Susannah set up the table, even though the latter tried to resist it, telling the girl she didn't need to help.

"It's okay, I want to help," Florence insisted, knowing how important it was for her to contribute. Susannah reciprocated her smile, appreciating Florence's willingness to lend a hand.

"You're sure everything's alright, though? You both seemed a bit tense when I came in," Florence pressed, her instincts still telling her that there was more to the story.

Laurel, who had been quiet during their exchange, decided to interject. "It's nothing, Florence," she said, attempting to steer the conversation in a different direction. "Hey, high school's coming to an end. Any ideas for college?"

Florence raised an eyebrow, recognizing the diversion tactic. But she decided to play along for now.

"Well, I'm considering pursuing a degree in psychology," she replied, her enthusiasm evident. "I want to help people, you know? And I think psychology is a really interesting field."

Laurel nodded, impressed with Florence's passion. "That's wonderful, sweetie. I'm sure you'll do great in college too," she said, smiling at her.

Florence beamed, feeling a surge of excitement as she discussed her dreams with Laurel and Susannah. It was moments like these that reassured her that no matter what uncertainties lay ahead, she had a strong support system in her corner.

As the mothers began to bring out the food, the rest of the group trickled into the dining room, chattering excitedly about their day. Belly and Jeremiah were still damp from their swim in the ocean, and Steven was grinning from ear to ear while Conrad had a grumpy look gracing his face.

Everyone took their designated seats that had been the same every summer. Susannah and Conrad sat on either ends of the table while Jeremiah, Steven and Florence sat on one side and Laurel, Belly and Emilia would sit on the other side- there was just one less chair this time.

As everyone finally settled down on the dinner table, the scent of delicious food filled the air. Susannah, with a proud smile, announced, "tonight, Florence made her special salad, just like the old days."

Florence smiled at Susannah's mention of the old days, "I thought it would be a nice touch to bring back those memories," she said, feeling a sense of nostalgia wash over her.

However, Steven and Jeremiah were too busy laughing about something on Steven's phone, completely ignoring the delicious meal in front of them. This caused both mothers to give them stern looks, and Laurel finally spoke up, "Steven, I swear to God, if you look at that phone one more time, I'm putting it in the screen basket."

The boys continued chuckling at a joke, prompting Susannah to play good-cop-bad-cop, "it's just, we want to see your beautiful faces. Can dinner be a screen-free zone? You know, like the olden days."

Jeremiah nodded in agreement at his mother's request as he swiftly snatched Steven's phone from his hand and tossed it into the screen basket, eliciting cheers from Florence and Belly, who were eager for a distraction-free dinner. Steven shot Jeremiah a glare, clearly unhappy with the intervention.

"Now, let's focus on enjoying this delicious meal and each other's company," Susannah said, offering a bright smile to everyone.

The tension dissipated, replaced by laughter and friendly banter as they started passing around the plates. Florence couldn't help but feel grateful for the bond they all shared. The beach house had always been a place of togetherness, a sanctuary from the distractions of everyday life.

As they savored the food, engaging in conversations about their day and sharing funny anecdotes, the absence of screens became less noticeable. Each person was fully present, immersed in the moment, all except one- Conrad, who sat quietly the entire time.

"Hey, when are you leaving for training camp?" Florence asked, turning to him, hoping to get him to engage into the conversation. Little did she know, this would strike a nerve with the boy.

"Uh, he quit football," Jeremiah answered awkwardly instead as the other three kids looked at Conrad in shock and confusion.

"W-wait, really? You quit?" Belly repeated as Conrad only replied with a hum.

"Are you kidding me, man?" Steven chimed in with a disbelieving tone, "I'd kill to play college ball."

"He can always change his mind-"

"I'm not gonna change my mind," Conrad interrupted his mother, "I was just gonna sit on the bench all season anyways."

"Well, if you're not playing football anymore, what are you gonna do all summer?" Steven then asked as him and Jeremiah suggested Conrad join them to work at the country club.

At the mention of the country club, Susannah perked up as she got up from her seat, "oh, girls, I almost forgot. I have a surprise for you," she chuckled as she brought out two envelopes and handed it to the two teenage girls and Laurel gave her best friend a look.

"So, this is why you had to stop by the country club?" Laurel asked disbelievingly as Susannah only smiled.

"What, uh, wh-wh-what is that?" Belly asked in confusion as Florence continued to read through the card.

"I wrangled you and Flo invitations to be a debutante."

"Is that the thing where the girls wear white dresses and curtsy?" Florence then asked as Susannah nodded.

"It's when a girl comes of age and is presented to society," she explained as the girls made a face upon hearing her words, "I-I know it sounds silly, but I swear it's fun. Girls come from all over New England to Cousins just to be a part of it. You'll make so many new friends."

"I cannot believe you are still holding on to this archaic dream," Laurel interjected as Susannah sighed.

"No, it used to be about finding a husband, but now it's about networking," she clarified, "they teach you leadership skills, like how to market yourself, and it benefits charity. It's, um, like a bat mitzvah."

Laurel laughed at her friend's comparison, "it is not like a bat mitzvah. There is nothing religious about a debutante ball."

"The whole deb scene is bullshit," Conrad spoke up, turning everyone's attention to him, "it's for sheep."

Florence shot him an angry look as Susannah denied her son's words, glaring at him.

"It's when a girl has a coming out, it's a formal recognition she's reached maturity," she tried to clarify as Steven laughed aloud, joking about how Belly was far from being mature.

"A-a couple months ago you had a cat funeral. You made us all wear black," he reminded, trying to solidify his argument as his sister glared at him.

"Shut up, Steven. I saw you crying in your room."

"Belly. Don't you want to get all dressed up?" Susannah asked, focusing on the girl's wishes rather than what the others said.

"It's just not Belly's kind of thing," Laurel interrupted, however, ruffling her daughter's hair playfully, "she's our feral little alley cat."

"I'll do it," Florence interjected when she noticed how uncomfortable Belly looked because of being put on the spot, trying to move the attention away from her, "I think it'll be fun. Plus I have nothing else to do this summer, anyway."

"You'll have so much fun!" Susannah exclaimed excitedly as Florence smiled back, happy to be able to put a smile on the woman's face, "Belly?"

"Um, I'll...I'll think about it," Belly then answers as Florence offers her a reassuring smile, easing the girl a little.

"We can do this together, it'll be great," she spoke as Susannah nodded, happy that the girls were considering it.

'This could be part of making this summer memorable,' Belly thought to herself as other conversations picked up around the dinner table, 'what could go wrong?'