Adrien's computer mouse clicked on the familiar bookmark, and he sighed wistfully as the webpage loaded fully. There was nothing new; there hadn't been for the past few months. He knew every tab by heart, every detail he could glean from the photographs and entries. Photos on the homepage faded into one another automatically. Soon his favorite appeared: two girls, one with wild rusty red hair and the other with dark bluish pigtails were locked in a tight embrace, covered in mud and paint smeared on their arms, grinning into the camera lens like there was no tomorrow. Adrien hovered over it with his mouse so the photo wouldn't change. He sighed again. They looked so happy, and the dark haired girl's smile was absolutely radiant.

Though the website had many photos from various years, he had managed to find this girl in more than just this one. In one she is helping a younger child with a yarn craft, and in another from many years ago she's watching an older girl cook over a campfire. Adrien could tell it was the girl, even in the old photo, by her look of utter happiness from being in the woods.

Deciding he didn't want to go through any more heartache tonight, Adrien closed the browser and put his many monitors to sleep, only to find himself on his phone a few minutes later looking through the tag on Instagram.

Camp Kwami. A tiny, secluded, nature-based co-ed summer camp in Southern France, owned and operated by the same family since 1904. The kids who went absolutely loved it, even making posts in the dead of winter about how much they missed the camp and all their friends. Adrien felt he knew enough about it to explain every minute detail to anyone who asked, despite never having set foot on the property before. Adrien's mom had gone when she was a kid, and had wanted for Adrien to go, too. He could still remember her stories of late nights and wilderness adventures that she would tell him when he was younger. But with his mother now gone, his father would always shut down Adrien's attempts to bring it up. Without success, Adrien had tried to convince Gabriel to let him go for the past four years. Now Adrien was the age where he would have to be staff if he went, and he was upset he'd missed out on his opportunities as a camper. This could have been his chance to make lifelong friends and memories like his mom and be a real kid. But noo, his dad had him cooped up at home like a princess in a castle, only making him more desperate to get free.

Adrien locked his phone, and tossed it onto the

floor, planting his face in his pillow. He felt like crying. Was it possible to be homesick for place you'd never even been to?

•••

"Father, can I ask you something?" Adrien began tentatively. "About my summer schedule?"

Gabriel didn't look up from the tablet that had a permanent residence next to his dinner place. "What is it, Adrien?"

"Applications for camp are due in a month, and I was having a discussion with Natalie today and-"

Adrien's father let out a sharp breath, moving his cold eyes from his device to meet his son's gaze. "Adrien, we have this discussion at least twice a year. My opinion has not changed. You are far too busy to be wasting time away from home when you can be here working."

Gabriel's clipped tone never failed to send a piercing jab through Adrien, but he persisted. "I know, I remember. But I was speaking with Natalie about my summer schedule, and you haven't planned any modeling projects for me past May, besides the fall collection-"

"I said, no," Gabriel said with a definity that would usually end such a discussion.

"But Father! It's… it's something mom wanted for me."

The forkful of steak that was headed for his dad's mouth stopped midair, but his gaze didn't shift from the plate. Adrien felt himself break out in a cold sweat. "She- she wanted me to go. And I want to go," Adrien pleaded. "Even Natalie agreed maybe a few months of being outdoors would be good for me so I could finally makesomefriendsorsomething-"

For the third time, Adrien was cut off. This time, not by words, but by his father tossing his napkin on the table and getting up from his chair. "The decision for you to go away this summer is still mine to make. You may be 16, but you are still within my care." With that, he strode from the room, tablet in hand, leaving a defeated Adrien to pick at his asparagus and mourn another summer lost.

•••

Back in his room, Adrien lay curled up on his couch with his phone and hoodie. The Camp Kwami photo gallery was organized by year. Adrien could scroll back to the 80's and look through the scans of the old film photos. Only one featured his mother, though: she was standing in front of the fire place in what Adrien knew as the main lodge with three other girls, playing an acoustic guitar with lots of little patterns drawn on it as they sang together. Adrien gazed at the photo as he held back more tears. He wanted to go so badly. So, so badly. To be able to go to a place he knew his mom loved with all her heart would make him so happy. It was the only tangible connection he could have with her now, and his father was the one person standing in the way of that.

Three quick knocks sounded on his door. Natalie. Adrien ignored her, rolling over on his couch and pulling the hood up on his jacket.

"Adrien? Open up. Your father wants to speak with you in his office." Natalie said.

Silence.

"Adrien, please be reasonable. I think you will want to hear what he has to say."

Adrien opened his eyes and sat up to look at the closed door before flopping back down on the couch "I doubt it!" he called, his voice cracking slightly.

He heard the jangle of keys and his lock clicked open. Damn Natalie and her master key. Couldn't she just let a boy wallow in his sorrow in peace? He yanked on the strings of the hood, leaving only his nose poking out. He heard Natalie walk in and perch on the coffee table in front of the couch. They sat in silence for a moment. Natalie loosened his hood so she could see his face, but Adrien kept his eyes shut.

"I promise you, he's not going to chew you out for asking a fourth year in a row." Natalie stated.

Adrien shrugged. "So? He's still going to say no."

"You don't know that. Please just go see him." She rested her hand on his shoulder for a moment before getting up and walking out. Adrien opened his eyes, feeling how puffy they were despite him not actually crying. He pulled out his phone and looked at the picture of his mom and her guitar one more time before getting up and trudging to his father's study on the other side of the house.

Adrien pushed off his hood before rapping his knuckles on the slightly open door.

"Come in."

Adrien pushed the door the rest of the way open and walked up to the desk, head down, not bothering to take a seat. "You wanted to see me."

Gabriel turned his gaze from his computer monitor and looked at his son. "I discussed it with Natalie, and she has made a very convincing case. I see here that children above 15 are trained to be staff," he motioned to the computer as he spoke. "We'll have to account for the extra training week they have at the end of May. I can always find a replacement for you for the fall collection modeling we usually have in the summer. Bring me anything that needs a signature, and you have time on Thursday to go out and buy things you might need. I doubt you'll be wanting to wear designer clothes in the forest. Adrien, are you listening?"

Adrien's mouth hung slack. "I… I can go?"

"Yes, that is what I am implying."

"W-Wait, for how long?"

Gabriel only shrugged. "You're in charge of filling out the paperwork and getting anything you need. I am simply granting you permission and… supporting you monetarily."

Adrien's whole face lit up. "Could… could I go the whole summer?"

"If you would like to."

WOULD I LIKE TO? Adrien thought. Yes! Yes! YES! "Thank you, father! I'll do it right away." He turned and ran from the room, beyond excited.

Gabriel watched him leave, sitting back in his chair. He turned to look at the portrait above the fireplace of his wife. "It's what she would have wanted," he breathed.

Back in his room, Adrien flew into his desk chair, fumbling with the mouse as he opened the website. He printed a few copies of the forms and the packing list, uncapped a pen and got to work.

•••

Adrien walked in the house and went straight into the security room and to Natalie's desk. She wasn't there, so he pushed the button for the mail slot. The mechanical slot opened, revealing it was empty. He sighed. Adrien knew mail from Clermont-Ferrand to Paris took a few days, especially since it was all the way in the forest, but it had been almost a week with no reply about his acceptance to the staff at Camp Kwami. Hopefully it hadn't gotten lost in the mail. He climbed the stairs to his room and threw his fencing bag down, ready for a badly needed shower.

There it was. A generic white envelope with a simple stamp of a ladybug with cat ears and whiskers next to the return address. Adrien spies his name in neat, rounded print in the middle above his own address.

Snatching the envelope off of his desk, Adrien tears open the top and skims the single paper inside.

Adrien Agreste,

We are happy to inform you that you have been admitted to serve on the Camp Kwami summer staff for all sessions! We are all looking forward to having you on our team this year. Please make sure to pay your final balance by May 1st. Only 3 months until summer!

See you in the valley!

Tikki

Camp Kwami

Adrien actually let out a whoop. Finally! The wait had been worth it, and now he was bursting with joy. He wanted to open his windows and yell to all of Paris that he was going to be free for the first time in his life. Instead, he grabbed his phone to call the one person who would listen.

"Hello?"

"Chloe! It's me!"

"Adrikins! I was wondering when you would return my calls!"

"Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. Listen! I've got great news, Chlo!"

"What's that? You have free time tonight for us to go to the ballet?"

"Actually, I might. I'll text you about details for that later. You know the summer camp I've been trying to get Father to let me go to for the past few years?"

"That old place down in Clermont-Ferrand?"

"Yeah, that one exactly!"

"So? What about it?"

"You gotta guess, Chlo."

"If I guess, you have to promise to not stand me up this time for the ballet."

"Fine. JUST GUESS."

"Uh… Gab finally relented?"

"YEAH! I'M GOING THIS SUMMER! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT, CHLOE?! HE ACTUALLY SAID YES!"

"Fascinating, Adrien. You won't be gone for long right? Maybe a few days?"

"Hell no! I'm gonna be gone the whole summer!"

"THE WHOLE SUMMER?! Wh-what?"

"Relax, Chloe, you'll live without me for a couple months."

"Oh, my god. I can't believe this."

"Me neither. Anyway, I just wanted to call and tell you since you would be like, the only person who would actually understand. I gotta go now. Maybe see you later?"

"I'd better! So… what is this camp?"

"Camp Kwami. My mom went there?"

"Camp Kwami… hm. Okay, talk to you later Adrikins! Text me about toni-"

Adrien hung up the phone. He didn't really want to go anywhere with Chloe right now, but maybe he would just to keep her at bay for another couple of weeks. Especially considering the great mood he was in.