Page 37 of Head Over Heels

Renna laughs. "You're right. Your brain is in there. That's Dr. Mueller's specialty—the brain. That's called neurology."

A teenage girl, maybe fourteen, approaches us after getting her autograph. She looks shyly at Florence. "Are you really the boss of the whole hospital? My moms were talking about you at dinner the other night."

She nods. "I am. What did your moms say about me?"

The girl beams. "That you're really smart. And if you can be the boss of all the smartest people in Delmont, I can do anything I want, too."

Florence softens. "What do you want to do when you grow up?"

The girl drops her gaze to the ground.

"Hey." Florence gently places a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Tell me your biggest, wildest dreams."

The girl takes a breath. "I want to go to the Olympics. And I want to be like Serenity and compete as a Delmont Demon, and I want to be a cancer doctor for kids."

Florence nods. "If you work hard every day, I bet you'll be a Demon. Being a doctor is hard work, but if you decide to do it, nothing will stop you."

I crouch to her level. "Going to the Olympics is a really big dream. What's your name?"

"Denisse Hernandez."

"Well, Denisse… the Olympics might be the hardest part, but never stop trying," I tell her. "Even if you don't make it, you'll have incredible experiences along the way."

"Mom says it depends on if the GoAT retires. But even if I don't make the team, we can still go and watch it." She suddenly frowns at me. "If you teach doctors, does that mean you're a doctor, too?"

"Yes, I am a doctor."

"Are you a lesbian, too?" she asks.

I glance up at her mom, who just shrugs, amused.

"Yes, I am. And you know what? Lesbians can be doctors or gymnasts or business women. We can do whatever we want to. You can, too."

Mel leans in. "Renna's almost done with autographs. A bunch of the girls want photos. We're going to do group shots with all four of us."

15

Josie

"You have pretty amazing friends," Florence tells me as I pull into her driveway. Renna single-handedly raised ten thousand dollars for the Cultural Center in less than an hour.

"She's a pretty big deal in some circles." I put the car in park. "Two hours, and voilà. Your social reputation has been upheld."

She turns to me. "Are you coming in?" She bites her lip.

"I can." She clearly wants me to. I pull the keys out of the ignition. "We should probably talk about earlier."

"Talk. And eat, too. I didn't have time to eat before we left, and I'm famished."

"I thought you ate before I picked you up." I follow her up the steps. "Why didn't you say something? We could have stopped to get something to eat."

Marin opens the door before Florence has a chance to get her keys out. "I made you grilled cheese and some butternut squash soup with apples. There's enough for both of you." She ushers us in. "I figured you might stay for a late dinner," she tells me.

If she's teasing Florence about this afternoon, I don't detect it.

"Thank you, Marin. You know how much I appreciate you, right?" Florence says, suddenly looking exhausted.

She raises an eyebrow. "It largely goes unsaid, but you know I'm here to serve, ma'am." She puts a hand on Florence's back and guides her to the table. "Sit." She turns to me. "You, too. Is there anything else I can get for you right now?"

---