Summer Gems explores a friendship formed over a brief Summer break, delving into those relationships that are only with us for a little while.
Leo and Mara meet one another in a seaside Mediterranean town while they’re on break, and quickly hit it off with one another. It’s cute to watch, and from here, you get to help guide them in their activities throughout these warm days. Go find some precious stones on the beach. Talk with one another as the sun goes down. Take a walk on the hot sands, or stroll through the nearby buildings. Write an entry in your journal about how you felt that day. There’s lots to do with your new friend, or with the thoughts that come up when thinking of this cherished new pal.
However, there may be a thought that lingers in your head, skirting around the outer rim of your thoughts. This is just a short vacation, and the two of you will be returning home after a little while. It’s the sort of thought that intrudes on me at conventions or on trips when I meet some new friend out of the blue. There’s a sadness that comes with these wonderful connections in knowing they’ll likely end save for some Herculean effort to keep them going. Social media makes that a bit easier, I suppose, but that doesn’t feel quite the same. It’s not quite as special as those moments you spend with someone you want to be friends with forever, but reality has only given you a short time with.
Summer Gems wonderfully captures the joy and sadness that come from these brief, but powerful, friendships, and will likely bring to mind many people you’ve left behind. Maybe you should go see if you can reconnect in some way.
Summer Gems is available now on itch.io.
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