The Fourth Summer. Kathleen Gilles Seidel

Caitlin didn’t know what thrilling things Trina thought would happen—the kids hanging out in the DQ parking lot were the sort that Trina wouldn’t have said two words to back home—but they sat at one of the picnic tables, and Caitlin ate slowly so they could stay until the place closed.

      Her phone buzzed. It was Seth. He must be calling to apologize. Caitlin longed to talk to him, but no, this was her sister’s time. She couldn’t see that sitting here was doing Trina any good, but Caitlin taking a call from Seth would make it worse.

      She called him the instant she got back to her room.

      “I don’t like fighting with you,” he said.

      “No. Me neither.”

      “You’ve got to try to come back for longer next summer.”

      “It’s not up to me. You know that.”

      “This really sucks. It seems like we never get to see each other. Why can’t we decide things for ourselves?”

      “Because we can’t. Because we’re kids.” Caitlin was feeling sick. She hadn’t finished the banana split, but she had eaten too much of it. “But you go to more places and do more things than most kids.”

      “But they don’t involve seeing you.”