The Summer of Good Intentions by Wendy Francis

when all the kids were still little. Maybe the summer right after Teddy was born, four years ago. Jess and Tim were still good then, weren’t they? Everyone was happy—and together. Even Arthur and Gloria.
    â€œHey, look.” Mac nudged her and pointed in Virgie’s direction. “Looks like your sister has a new admirer.” Sal had shown up a few minutes earlier carrying a cooler. After saying a quick hello, he’d planted himself next to Virgie and the kids. Maggie watched while Virgie said something and flipped her hair.
    â€œSal’s not really new,” she corrected. “He’s been in love with Virgie since we were little girls.” Maggie suspected that, as with each passing summer, Sal hoped he could persuade Virgie to be his love interest for the time that she was here. Maggie was curious to see if her sister would mention Jackson or if she would she play it coy. It was difficult to know with her baby sister; Virgie was accustomed to having her cake and eating it, too.
    â€œWhere’s my s’more?” Mac asked now.
    â€œSorry, honey, it’s every man for himself tonight.” Maggie reached into her jacket pocket. “But I did manage to score us this.” She held out the Hershey’s chocolate bar, its tinfoil shining in the moonlight. He dove for it, but Maggie was quick. She broke off a small piece and passed it to him.
    â€œThis,” he said, plopping the chocolate in his mouth, “is all I need to make my life good. You, the kids, fireworks, a cold beer.” He paused, stroking her hair. “The only thing that could possibly make it better would be that entire Hershey’s bar.” She laughed, took another bite, and snuggled in closer.
    Just then, another big boom exploded overhead. Maggie watched the bright tendrils of color drift down to the water like streamers.
    â€œGood one!” Luke shouted, and the kids whooped in unison.
    The scent of woodsmoke hung in the air. She could taste the bittersweet mix of beer and chocolate on her tongue. This was summer. Sticky fingers. The smell of mosquito repellent. The wind whipping up, then settling down again. Her husband’s arms around her. The sound of the kids laughing. Yes, thought Maggie. You’re right . Now, if she could just work up the nerve to tell Mac what she’d been dreaming about for the family.
    But she stopped herself. Right now she wanted to enjoy the moment, take it all in.

Jess
    It was Friday night. Already. How on earth did the first week of vacation pass by so quickly? she wondered. Jess climbed the stairs and poked her head into the kids’ room before getting ready for bed. After a full day of swimming, Lexie and Sophie were sprawled out on the top bunks, zonked. Teddy had crawled into bed with Grace, his warm body pulled into an S. On the other bunk, Luke snored softly, surrounded by his army of stuffed pigs. She honestly didn’t know how her nephew managed to keep track of them all. She blew them kisses, then shut the door behind her and went to grab a fresh towel from the linen closet. When she pressed it to her face, she was hit by the familiar scent of lavender.
    Jess was trying to relax, soak in the summer, but it was proving difficult this year. The fact that she and Tim had had a fight this morning wasn’t making it any easier. Two days into vacation, when he asked her how old the milk was in the fridge, she’d refrained from snapping that milk had an expiration date like anything else and why didn’t he just check the carton? And they’d had a decent Fourth last night, hanging out with Mac and Maggie to watch the fireworks. They’d even gone for a walk and talked about things, remembering summers past. It almost felt like old times.
    Almost .
    She told herself she couldn’t expect Tim to perform a 180-degree reversal, going from hardly present in their marriage to a devoted husband in a week’s time. But she