THE GIRL WHO STAYED FOR ONLY ONE SUMMER

Chapter 14

By October, Greyhaven had changed.

The tourist season ended.

The harbor became quieter.

The mornings became colder.

Ethan returned fully to his old routine.

Work.

Hotel.

Diner.

Home.

He didn’t talk about Maya often.

Not because he had forgotten her.

Because he hadn’t.

Sometimes Lily asked.

“Is Maya coming back?”

Ethan would answer honestly.

“I don’t know.”

“Do you miss her?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sad?”

“Sometimes.”

Lily thought about that.

“That’s okay.”

Ethan smiled.

“Yeah.”

One evening, he found a photograph Maya had taken tucked inside his toolbox.

He looked at it.

Then put it back.

He didn’t throw it away.

He didn’t need to.

Some memories weren’t meant to be destroyed.

They were meant to be carried.