The Last Summer

It seemed like every other Monday morning, except it wasn’t. Rowan Evergreen opened her eyes, gently wiping the sleep away. She was surprised she slept so well. This was the moment she had been dreading.

Her parents thought it was in her best interest to enter her in a summer work program. The program would help her get a head start in a promising career. She still didn’t know exactly what she wanted to do, and this program focused mostly on managing a business. Listening to the chatter downstairs, she could hear her family getting ready for the day. The smell of pancakes and bacon filled the air. Her favorite. Rowan hated having to say goodbye to her loved ones.

Her suitcase was packed; she was only allowed to bring a limited number of items with her. She would only be gone for 12 weeks after all.

Rowan looked over at the clock. 9 AM. She didn’t have much time. Archer would be picking her up within the hour. Quickly, she jumped out of bed and into the shower.

There would be no time for breakfast. Archer would be there any minute, and she wanted to spend every moment with him she could. Would today be the day she told him how she felt? Probably not. She always chickened out.

It wasn’t much longer before she heard the steady hum of his car pull up in the driveway outside. Rowan grabbed a piece of bacon and gave her mom her apologies with a kiss on the cheek. She then ran outside, hopping in the passenger side of Archer’s vehicle. They had a whole day planned together.

“Do you have anywhere specific you would like to go today?” He asked her with a grin on his face.

“I was thinking, let's explore downtown. We could park your car at one end, take the trolley to the other, and walk back, just like our parents used to do with us.”

The trolley seemed smaller than Rowan remembered it. Then again, it had been a few years since she had been on it. Archer dragged her to the second story, so they could look out at the beautiful view of the lake that stretched all along the side of the road leading up to Main Street. He pointed to the family of ducks that had always been a part of the lake. The little duck family had grown significantly throughout the years.

By 2 PM, they had been to the arcade and stopped at the movie theater to see a few art films that Rowan had been interested in. The theater served a full lunch, which they enjoyed while watching the shows. All they had left to do was visit the antique shop.

Rowan had been eyeing a music box for months. She had finally saved up enough to get it. The music box had a secret compartment inside, which she thought was intriguing. What would you hide in such a thing? It was devastating when she realized the music box was no longer there.

Knowing she worked so hard and saved so long for something she was excited to own made it difficult to leave the shop empty-handed. Maybe it was a dumb idea, and the universe was telling her she didn’t need a music box.

The sun was setting as they approached Archer's car. Rowan felt overwhelmed by the events of the day. She had an excited, buzzed sense running through her veins. The day was coming to a close, and she knew saying goodbye to Archer would be the hardest. It was only 12 weeks, but that seemed like a lifetime away.

Bristol Breeze Park was down the road from Rowan’s place. There was a tiny petting zoo that was open to the public year-round. Archer suggested stopping there and grabbing dinner at the Mom and Pop shop across from the park.

The petting zoo was a short trip, as the animals were getting ready for bed. Luckily, the place they were eating was open until midnight. Rowan’s flight wasn’t until then. It was only 6 PM, they had time.

Thankful for having her favorite meal one last time, she dug into her butternut squash ravioli, the shop's specialty. Archer was quiet, with a goofy grin on his face.

“What’s up?” Rowan asked, wondering why he was acting so strange. That grin meant he was up to something.

Archer quietly reached into his bookbag. He pulled out a package.

“Now, please don’t be mad.” He whispered as he handed her the gift.

Carefully opening the neatly wrapped gift, Rowan wondered why she would be mad. Her answer was there quickly, seeing the music box she had been saving for.

“Let me explain.” Archer interrupted before she could say anything. “I was in the antique shop the other day, and they had raised the price by $100. I knew you had been saving for it, and I couldn’t stand to see it go to someone else.”

It was easy for her to understand. That was just how Archer was. He was always thoughtful and caring.

The music box was something Rowan kept throughout her years. It saw her at her best and worst times. It would always serve as a reminder of youth, love, and growth. It, in fact, was her most treasured possession and the only thing she never allowed anyone to touch.

And for good reason; she eventually discovered exactly what a hidden compartment inside a music box was good for.