Love Always (NG4)

40 - Long summer

At noon the day after the movies, Rory felt as if she had swam in her own sweat. Finn was by her side as she cleaned up the paper from the origami craft. Rory had become a pro over the summer with folding paper into simple objects. She liked origami days because frustrated kids broke down and she could counsel them. On the other end of the spectrum, the ones who mastered it felt pride. Every day she rode an emotional rollercoaster.

Finn didn't spend the three hours by her side like he had, because he had made some friends. The boy ran from her side and she looked up and saw Dan talking to a mother. She had two daughters, one older and the other younger than Finn. Rory had spent a long time with her oldest, Emily. She made Rory miss Emma, although her sister never grieved for her mother, like Emily was for her daddy. The beautiful redhead had recently become a widow when her husband was killed in a Marine training exercise. One thing Rory had learned over her summer was there were so many ways people could be taken, but each one was the worst way to the kid in mourning. She used to hate the sympathy specifically because her mother had been pregnant.

She watched as Finn reached his father and Dan finished listening before he looked down at his son. The girls clung to their mother and Rory felt a tear break through. Dan turned towards her and smiled, as the sad trio walked away and Finn ran back to her. Once again Finn wanted to have lunch with Rory, but she made an excuse and watched them leave feeling bad for Finn who looked sad.

Rory pulled back for a few days. On Sunday, Dan texted about the park, but Rory had plans. She had invited Grace and Chantal over to hangout in the hot tub. Next summer, she hoped to have a job, but she planned to hang out in the real pool as much as possible. Making the most of the situation, the small spa was better than nothing.

Her day with her friends was fun, but with two weeks left they were focused on getting back to school. Their last year had more internships to gain practical experience and fewer classes. Rory would continue her work with grieving children. They had asked her to stay on and run group sessions with a mentor in the afternoons and early evenings. She would be busy which was just as well, because Sam would continue his travels to film his players at their universities.

Rory agreed to pizza after camp one day because it was so hard to say no to Finn. She smiled for a picture with Finn and their enormous pizza slices.

Later when Sam called he asked how her pizza was. Sure enough, she was on Dan's social page. She couldn't blame Sam since she stalked the nurse's.

"How's? Where are you again?"

"Pennsylvania. Only one more to meet and then I head to see the guys on campus. I want to stop in to see Nonna and Dee when I go to Ohio State."

"Summer's almost over for me. Lana's complaining about coming back early. So you're going to Turner?"

"I know. I haven't been in what? Two years?"

"I think so. It's good your Nonna will be happy."

"How was your pizza date?"

"I only date you. You know I only go because of Finn."

"The guy likes you. I can tell. I should know."

"It doesn't matter. He knows I'm with you."

"Am I allowed to say I don't like it?"

Rory didn't want to admit to Sam he was right. "Finn has four more days of camp and then I won't see him." Even if he attended a group, she would request it not to be hers. They had grown too close.

Sam said, "I know you. You will."

"Maybe with Liam."

Sam said, "Virginia Tech is one of my stops."