The Summers After

thirty-three

BELLY

Belly is having coffee while Matt and Henry play with legos in the family room. Matt's cast has just come off and he's feeling like his old self again.

Belly has reached out to Taylor almost 10 times, with no response. Conrad keeps telling her to give it time, Taylor will ask for help when she's ready but Belly is having a hard time with it. She had guilt about their fight, but is still carrying anger. After her miscarriage, she's more grateful than ever for her two healthy babies, and Taylor jeopardizing that makes her blood boil.

There's a knock on her front door and then she hears it open before she can even get up. "Hello, hello!"

"Nana!" Matt yells and goes hurtling towards the front door. It's her mom.

Henry gets up quickly, following his brother, "Hi Nana!"

Belly can hear her mom laughing and giving the boys kisses. She comes into the room a few seconds later. She's dressed casually, black joggers and a tank top.

"Hi honey!" Her mom says with her winning smile.

Belly gets off the couch to hug her, "Hi mom."

"Any coffee left?" Her mom is already walking into the kitchen.

"Of course," Belly sits back down, the boys are already back to playing. Her mom will help herself anyway. It's one of the perks of living so close to family.

Her mom comes back in and sits down in the chair across from Belly, closer to the boys. "It's a beautiful morning." She says with a sip. Conrad ran this morning before work and said the same thing. It's hot in Boston right now, usually in the 90's every day. But the wind off the ocean helps cool it down a little bit.

"Mhmm," Belly responds

"So I'm a little embarrassed to bring this up," her mom says cautiously.

"Uh oh," Belly says lightly with a smirk.

"I feel like you didn't really get a chance to know Frank, with everything that happened with Taylor that weekend,"

Belly's heart sinks. She was completely selfish that weekend and hardly spent any time with Frank. Honestly Belly had kind of forgotten he was there at all until Sunday when everyone left. "Oh mom, I'm so sorry."

Her mom holds up her hand, "Belly, it's fine! You had a lot going on that weekend, I just would like you and Connie to get to know him." Belly relaxes at her mom's words, because she knows they're sincere. Her mom really doesn't care.

"Of course,"

"I was thinking of hosting a little dinner party on Friday night, nothing big, just the usual family." Her mom explains, "I spoke to Jeremiah this morning, and he's free. Steven and Shayla will be there. That just leaves you and Con. Oh and of course, Adam."

Her mom and Adam have come so far since Susannah was sick. They leaned on each other in the years following her death, they found comfort in the memories they each had of her. And when Matt came around, they bonded over being grandparents. Adam even loved Mallory the same as he loves Matt and Henry.

"Yes mom, of course we'll be there."

Her mom sits back in her chair and nods happily, satisfied at her organization of this dinner, "Good."