Page 36 of It Started with a Sunset
“Well, some number around there—it doesn’t have to be ten. I like people a lot. I think I would like my own little people awholelot.” She looked out at the lights in the town. “And I think I would make a great mom. I mean, I didn’t exactly have the best mom as an example, but I have my dad, and I had a lot of friends with amazing moms. I want to give my kids all the love and attention and nurturing that I didn’t get. You know, bring the Graham Family Mothering Average up to more stellar levels.”
He studied her for a moment. “How did you grow up with the kind of upbringing that you did and not turn out to be a bitter, people-hating person?”
“I need people.” She shrugged. “Well, I mean, every single person does. I’ve just always felt like I had more of an insatiable need than other people did. So I kind of just sought out places where I could belong. Places that needed me as much as I needed them. It takes a village to raise a child, right? I guess I just had a pretty good village.”
The more he learned about Summer, the more he realized what an inner strength she had. With a mom who hadn’t been present and a dad who had but had seldom been home, she probably hadn’t gotten a lot of parental direction and guidance. He was impressed that she was able to figure out what she most needed and then find a way to get it. Just imagining what kind of obstacles she must’ve had to overcome to get to where she was now was mind blowing.
Maintaining her sense of self-worth through all of that must’ve been difficult, too. Or maybe she’d lost it and she’d had to fight to get it back. Regardless, he was in awe of her.
“How many kids do you want?”
He chuckled. “Well, I can’t say that the numbertenever crossed my mind even once before now—a lot of times, I thought my family’s five was too much. I guess I just always wanted what felt right.”
But honestly, he was thinking that three or so would probably be what felt right. As he looked out at the beautiful surroundings with an incredible woman at his side, he worried that he might not be good enough for her in a lot more ways than just not wanting as many kids as she did. He had plenty of areas in his life where he strove to be perfect but was so far from it that he worried he might never get it right.
Chapter Fifteen
Summer
As Summer walked across campus toward the Student Center, she saw Avery walking from a sidewalk that joined Summer’s, and she stopped and waited for her to catch up.
They started walking side by side and Avery asked, “How are things going in the Welcome Center?”
Summer felt like she lost a couple of inches in height just thinking about it and exhaled a huge breath. “I am so glad it’s Friday. This week has been at least three weeks long.”
“It’s Thursday.”
Summer just stared at Avery for a long moment. “I don’t even know how that’s possible.”
“It’s going that good, huh? I’ve noticed that everyone on your side of the wall has been getting more and more stressed as the week goes on.”
“It’s a mess. The number of new applicants just isn’t where it should be for this time of year, so the Assistant VP of Enrollment Management is breathing down Tess’s neck, so she has put the pressure on us all. I know we get to this point every single year, and it always makes us stress out. How are things going in Admissions?”
“I hate to say it, but we aren’t quite as busy as we usually are at this time of year. Two or three of our student employees have called in sick or too busy with homework every day, and we’ve been just fine without them.”
Summer shook her head. “So we really are behind. We’ve been emailing prospective students, Everett has other companies emailing out for us, Brock has been finding even more companies to donate scholarships to entice more students, Elle has been busy with open houses, all of our on-location recruiters are in high schools every single day. They’re even doing lunches with students whose counselors say they’re interested. Pavani and I are in the schools in our recruitment area as much as we can be and still get our jobs here done. It doesn’t seem like there’s much more we can do and still survive.”
Summer opened the door to the Student Center and they both walked through.
“Some years are just like that,” Avery said. “But the numbers will be there when you need them.”
Summer let out a long breath. “I needed your kind of optimism today, Avery. Thank you.” As they neared the doors to the Welcome Center, she said, “I’ve actually got three students with some unique circumstances I wanted to talk with you about. Mind if I follow you to your desk?”
“You can under one condition,” she said, pulling open the door to Admissions. “You give me an update on you and Brock.”
The change in emotions she felt going from work stress to thinking of Brock was so abrupt it actually made her laugh. “Well, we’ve seen each other practically every day after work for the past two weeks. I’m to the point where every time anyone says anything, I relate it to Brock—he’s at the front of my thoughts that much.”
Avery said, “Aww, that’s so sweet!” as she sat down at her desk.
Summer peeked over the top of the half wall before she sat in the chair beside Avery’s desk, making sure none of her coworkers could hear, especially Brock. “It’s bad, Avery. Valeria knew I was having a super stressful week, so when I was in the shower this morning, she went out and got us each one of ‘The Everything’ breakfasts from Moose on the Loose. When I opened the box, I actually said, ‘Look at these hash browns, especially here at the top—don’t they remind you of Brock’s intentionally messy hair?’ Valeria has officially declared me a hopeless case.”
“I think it’s adorable. What have you got for me?”
Summer brought up her email on her phone and gave Avery the information on all three students. While Avery was doing her thing, Summer noticed Brock get up from his office and walk toward Summer’s. When he didn’t see her there, he turned around and spotted her at Avery’s desk, then mouthed,I’ll talk to you after. She smiled and gave him a nod.
“And,” Avery said, dragging out the word as her fingers flew across her keyboard before pressingEnterwith a flourish, “all three are taken care of!”
“Avery, you are magic. Thank you.”
