Page 27 of Coming Home

She knew the answer before the question left her lips. There were limited healthcare services in the county, let alone behavioral health ones. The Owens Family Clinic had been the village’s only primary care service for nearly one hundred years. Outside of the optometrist clinic across the street from Clayton’s vet clinic and two dentists, there weren’t any other healthcare providers in Perry.

“I wish there were more services in the county for kids. When Liam was first assessed, I had to take him up to Buffalo. There are a few other parents at the school who also take their kids to specialists in Buffalo or Rochester.”

Nat nodded.

Summer sighed, sweeping her long chestnut hair up into a messy bun. “I just want to do what’s best for him. Sometimes I think about us moving to a city, but here we have my mom and dad. I…we have support. Over the last year, I feel like our circle has gotten so big.” Her chocolate eyes glimmered with threatening tears.

“The Liam and Summer Team has a deep bench.”

Since Summer reconnected with Elle last year, a whole new social network opened up to them. During school breaks or on the weekends, Liam, a budding future vet, visited Clayton’sclinic. Carmen and Mathew adjusted the weekly story time at Cow Tales, the village’s bookstore/coffee shop, to be accessible to individuals with sensory disabilities and challenges. Noah, and sometimes Todd, met them at the park to run around with Liam.

The nine-year-old was one of Nat’s favorite board game buddies. Although she could do without him destroying her at Connect 4 time after time. He was merciless.

Despite the many things Perry didn’t have, it offered so much love and support for Summer and her little boy. It was one of the reasons Nat came home… because Perry always made up for things it didn’t have with an abundance of what it did have: love.

Summer leaned back in the kitchen chair. “When I first came back, I was still Summer Michaels, the bitchy popular girl from high school. To so many in the village, I’m still that mean girl. At least, that’s how they see me. Over the last few months, I’ve started to feel like I’m more than that. More than just the girl people were happy to see leave and even happier to see come back knocked up with her tail between her legs.”

Nat placed a hand on Summer’s cheek, repeating Noah’s words. “Fuck them.”

“Asshole!” Summer laughed, swatting her hand away. “You glittered me.”

“Just so you remember that you sparkle.” She winked.

“How are we friends?”

“Because youloveme.” Nat rubbed her glittered hands all over Summer’s face, who protested despite her deep-belly laughs.

“Speaking oflove.” Summer waggled her now glitter-speckled eyebrows. “Can we go back to your littlelovetriangle?”

Nat’s gaze drifted to the yellow gardenias from Noah taunting her from the kitchen counter. “First, I don’t think Iappreciate the salacious way you saylove. Second, there’s not much to talk about.”

“Well, I know you’ve been gaga for Noah since before it was age-appropriate for you to have those feelings, but what about Duncan? Were you in love with him?” Summer walked to the sink and cleaned the glitter from her face.

“I don’t…” Nat bit her lip.

“So, that’s a no.”

“It was high school. I mean, who falls in love when they are in high school?”

“You mean besides your parents, my parents, your brother, and half the village?”

Her lips puckered. “Clayton doesn’t count. His love was one-sided ’til Elle came back last year.”

“You know, the irony that your soon-to-be sister-in-law and you both crushed on Noah is not lost on me. Although, her crush is past tense.” Summer patted her face dry with a paper towel.

“Back to Duncan.” She puffed out a long breath.

Noah infiltrated far too much. Tamping down his presence in her life was reminiscent of trying to keep the sunshine out of a glass house.

“You lost your virginity to Duncan, right?”

“I didn’t lose it. I gave it to him.”

The eye roll at the idea of losing one’s virginity couldn’t be avoided. As if it was half of a pair of socks that went missing in the dryer. It’s not like she woke up and misplaced her hymen. It was a decision. Perhaps not a thought-out one, but a decision she made, nonetheless.

Summer sat in the chair, crossing her legs. “I take it there were no multiple orgasms.”

Nat grimaced.

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