The Secret Summer Promise by Keah Brown

Author:Keah Brown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Levine Querido

I got out of the car, turned around to the window, and told Mom I’d see her in a bit. She gave me a thumbs-up and I watched her drive off. When she was out of sight, I took a deep breath and walked up to the steps. I knocked on the door and waited. Seconds later, it swung open, to Cathy Livingston.

Olivia’s mom was a skinny white woman with dyed-blond hair and an air of self-importance to match it. She smiled at me softly. When we were kids and Olivia still had sleepovers, her mom had let us play with her makeup and wear her clothes, even when she was there, which wasn’t often. But we’d had Annie, Olivia’s nanny, to spend time with, so I’d sort of always thought everything was great for Olivia. As I looked at Cathy and her designer clothes, her “youthful” face with dead eyes, I realized maybe I’d been wrong about that too. Olivia’s dad, Philip, was at least ten years Cathy’s senior. The few times that I’d seen them when I was old enough to recognize what love was, they’d never seemed like they were in it. Philip liked to keep his distance from my family and his own. Still, I’d always thought Olivia’s mom seemed like the coolest person, always on the go, never staying in one place too long. Now though, that just seemed exhausting.

Mom had traveled a lot too when we were young kids, but she’d always been there when it counted. And the older I got, the less she traveled. Or she took us with her so she wouldn’t miss much. I’d always wanted a trip or adventure to look forward to, and I was just a kid, so I thought Olivia had that with her parents—without realizing at the time that they almost always left her behind. I didn’t see how unfair it was that she was always having to say goodbye to them and having to make excuses for them not attending any school function or activity. But now I did.

“Hey sweetie! Haven’t seen you around in quite a bit,” Cathy said. She tapped her foot absent-mindedly, but quickly.

“It’s nice to see you too! I was actually wondering if Olivia was home? And how are you and Philip?” I asked. They had never wanted any one of us to address them formally. Both Cathy and Philip said calling them Mr. and Mrs. Livingston made them feel old.

Cathy stepped aside and welcomed me in; I walked past her, though I was genuinely curious about how they were doing. Even after Olivia and I had agreed to tolerate each other for the benefit of our friends, I was the only one who knew what the inside of her house looked like—I was the only one who Olivia had let spend any real time with them. The other girls wondered, even Hailee, but I always figured it wasn’t my information to share.

“Listen, we’re great, everything is great. I have to get back to my room, but Livy is up in hers.

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