“Hello,” said Naomi. Leaning down, she kissed Gretchen sweetly.
“Hi there,” Gretchen said. “How was it?”
“Eh,” Naomi replied, rolling her hand back and forth. “I think it’s dawning on them and they’re beginning to accept it. It just feels weird. But I guess it’s felt weird over there for a long time.”
“That’s okay,” Gretchen consoled. “The upside is that your worst fears didn’t come true. They didn’t disown you.”
“That’s true,” Naomi agreed. “I’m hoping that they just need some time, and things will get back to normal soon.”
“I hope so, too,” Gretchen said with a warm smile.
“I searched all over in that house,” said Naomi. “I really thought I had something I could wear to the interview. Some kind of suit. But I just don’t.”
“That’s okay,” said Gretchen. “I told you you could borrow something of mine. I have professional clothes.”
“I’ll do that,” Naomi agreed. She kissed Gretchen once more. “Mmm.”
“I just got off the phone with my old coworker, Dale,” said Gretchen. “He offered me a job as a loan officer at one of the new branches up here.”
“He did!” beamed Naomi. “Gretchen, that’s amazing. Are you going to take it?”
“I think so,” said Gretchen. “I want to think about it a little bit more, but it’s a good opportunity. And hey, we could carpool.” Naomi laughed.
“Well, I don’t quite have an offer yet,” she said. “But if I do get the job, and you take the job, then yes… we can carpool.”
“But for now,” Gretchen concluded. “We should get ready and then head over to Dune City.”
“Are you going to put in your notice today?”
“Not yet,” said Gretchen. “Not until I really make the decision.”
“Okay,” Naomi said, smiling happily and excitedly. She reached down and took Gretchen’s hand, helping her up out of her seat. As she came to her feet, Gretchen wrapped her arms around Naomi and the two fell into a deep embrace together.
The love was palpable.
It was late in the afternoon about a week or so later, and Gretchen stood behind the bar at Dune City with Jim by her side. They had a handful of customers sitting at the bar, a few more groups at the table, and some more people sitting outside on the patio. Even though tourist season in Traverse City had come and gone, they were still quite busy for late September. The weather was nice and the locals felt more at ease, and that translated to people coming out on that later afternoon, the last Friday before October.
With everybody having their beer for the moment, Gretchen and Jim were cleaning up and preparing for the next rounds. Gretchen washed the pint glasses, while Jim did the necessary maintenance on the taps, wiping them down and making sure they poured clean. Gretchen had a lot on her mind, but it was all good. She felt content, ready to take on whatever came next, and for the first time in a while, not feeling the insatiable wanderlust that had defined the last couple of years for her.
“It should die down in about an hour,” mused Jim, stepping up next to Gretchen and leaning on the bar.
“Yep,” agreed Gretchen. “Dinner time is closing in.”
“This might be the last big Friday for a while,” said Jim. “I think we’re going to have to start cutting hours.”
“That’s all right,” Gretchen replied. She stood back from the washing station and wiped her hands on a white towel. “Actually, about that…”
“Yeah?”
Gretchen had already quit the knife store, but she wanted to stay on at Dune City to see the summer season out. She also didn’t want to spring it all at once on Jim, the possibility of both her and Naomi leaving. Naomi’s fate was still uncertain, but Gretchen had made her decision. The credit union was opening in just a matter of weeks, and she had made her commitment to Dale. Gretchen was returning to full-time work.
“I accepted another job,” Gretchen admitted. “It’s at the credit union I used to work at down in Lansing. They’re opening up here and, well, I took a job with them.”
“Oh, that’s great,” said Jim with a smile. “That’s awesome, Gretchen. I mean, you know hours here go down the tubes in winter. And I’m sure it’s a better job than this, anyway. More money and stability and all that.”
“Right,” said Gretchen. “I just felt like it was time. I should have enough vacation to do my adventuring, and besides… there’s so much nature and hiking to explore here in Traverse City, it’ll take me forever to exhaust what we have up here.”
“That’s right,” Jim confirmed. “Tons up here. And plus you could easily head to the U.P. and explore up there. Lots of camping and hiking.”
“Thanks for understanding,” Gretchen replied, smiling happily. “I’m excited for the next step and to see where this all takes me. I’m really loving it up here and I feel like I’m finally finding my place. Only took a year and a half.”
“So when do you start the new job?” asked Jim.
“End of October, probably,” she said. “But by the middle of October I have to be available for some training.”
“You’re leaving that soon, eh?” Jim remarked. “Well, all right. That’s how it goes, I guess. Hopefully some of the others are planning on sticking around so I don’t have to do any new hiring.”
“Yeah,” Gretchen said absently. She still wasn’t sure about Naomi’s status, but she knew they would find out soon enough.
It closed in on half past six and the customers began filtering out. It was nice and predictable that they would leave for dinner, and there would be about an hour break before different customers wandered in for their Friday night drinks. Gretchen looked at her phone, eyeing the time, wondering when Naomi would make her entrance. But when she looked up once again, gazing out of the windows and into the parking lot, Gretchen saw Naomi’s car pull into a spot and she got a big smile.
Naomi came waltzing in with a happy and bright face, wearing a dark grey wool blazer with matching pants, a white blouse, and black heels. Her dark hair was brushed and smooth, falling straight down and framing her made-up visage. Gretchen was excited to see her, and she rushed around from the back of the bar, closed in on Naomi, and gave her a big hug.
“How did it go?” Gretchen asked, kissing Naomi’s ear after she spoke.
“Great,” Naomi replied. “Just great.”
“Let’s have a beer!” Gretchen suggested, and Naomi nodded enthusiastically.
As the girls approached the bar—Gretchen behind it, Naomi sitting on a stool at it—Jim got a curious and questioning look on his face as he spotted Naomi. It was very strange to see her so dressed up.
“What’s all this?” Jim asked, motioning with a single finger at Naomi’s attire.
“I went down to Lansing today for an interview,” Naomi said blithely.
“Whoa, really?” replied Jim. “That’s a lot of driving for one day.”
“Three hours each way,” Naomi said. She accepted a beer from Gretchen happily and took an eager sip from the small glass.
“Okay, so what’s going on here?” Jim asked, looking back and forth between the girls. “Are you both leaving me?”
“I’m sorry, Jim,” Gretchen said empathetically.
“So, you too?” Jim said, looking now to Naomi.
“Yeah,” Naomi confirmed. “I got a new job.”
“In Lansing?” said Jim.
“No, it’s up here,” said Naomi. “The interview was down there.”
“And when do you start?”
“Late October,” Naomi said.
“That’s the same as Gretchen,” Jim replied, lifting an eyebrow.
“We’re going to be working at the same place,” Gretchen said with a smile. “We can’t get away from each other.”
“I guess not,” Jim said with a hint of exasperation. “Okay, well now I really have to make sure we’re covered for the coming months.”
“I’m sorry,” said Naomi
. “This is my first real job. I’m pretty excited about it.”
“No, no,” Jim said, putting his palms up. “Don’t be sorry. I understand. This is what you’ve got to do. Both of you. I completely understand.”
“Thanks, Jim,” Gretchen said, reaching over and squeezing his shoulder.
“We’ll be fine,” he replied. “Really, we will. I just hope you two won’t be strangers.”
“We live right across the street,” said Naomi with a laugh. “I think we’ll be back.” Gretchen smiled and nodded in agreement.
“I think I’m going to have to fix next month’s schedule,” Jim thought out loud. “If you two are both gone…” he mused and held up a finger. “Be right back.”
Jim then scurried off from behind the bar and made his way to the back room.
“So you got it?” Gretchen said, eyes bright as she grinned across the bar at Naomi.
“I got it,” Naomi confirmed happily. “I can’t believe it. They offered me the job right there and it’s a done deal. I’m going to get trained and then I’ll be sitting there at the counter on day one. It’s craziness to me, but I’m so excited and ready for this new chapter in my life. I feel great, Gretch. I feel just amazing.”
“You are amazing,” Gretchen said. “And I’m so proud of you.”
“Oh, there’s one more thing,” Naomi said with a mischievous look in her eye.
“Yeah?” Gretchen questioned, noticing something was up.
“I told them I already had a trip planned,” said Naomi. “In December. Plane tickets bought, all that.”
“But we didn’t plan anything yet,” said Gretchen. Naomi just smiled big and shrugged.
“We will,” she said. “It’s my birthday, after all, and I’m turning thirty. I want to do something special… with you.”
“I’ll let Dale know that I’ve got those very same days already booked,” Gretchen said, easily picking up her lover’s mischievousness. “I’m guessing some sort of outdoor adventure?”
“I’ve got an idea,” Naomi revealed. “I’ll tell you about it later.”
“Later?” said Gretchen impatiently. Naomi laughed and then took a gulp of her beer.
“Yeah,” Naomi said. “I’m still figuring it out.” Gretchen grinned and shook her head.
“All right,” she said. “But you know this is going to eat me up. Don’t keep me in suspense for too long.”
“I’ll have another beer, bar maid,” Naomi teased, sliding her now empty glass back toward Gretchen. “You give me a half-pint, and I’m going to drink it quick.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Gretchen replied. She swiped the glass away and quickly washed it out. Then, turning to the row of taps she immediately went for the style she knew to be Naomi’s favorite, a honey basil ale.
Naomi’s eyes grew big as her new beer approached. It had been a long day. All that driving, and the stress of her first professional interview. She had earned it.
“Here you are,” Gretchen said. As she placed the glass in front of Naomi, she leaned over the bar and kissed Naomi sweetly. Naomi hummed happily to herself, feeling love from all around her. It was nice to feel cared for, accepted, and appreciated.
As Naomi gulped from her second glass, drinking her favorite beer, Gretchen just watched with her arms crossed and a big smile. What more could she ask for?
With the summer coming to an end and school starting back up, the pool at the Timberline apartment complex was much less busy than it had been during the hottest months. Although with temperatures still pushing upwards of eighty degrees and the sun still high in the sky, Gretchen and Naomi decided to lay out and relax poolside in some of their final days before their work lives were to shift. The pool area next to the clubhouse was mostly empty on that early October day as the clock neared noon, and the girls both chilled into their sunning chairs in their bikinis and sunglasses. It felt good to take it easy.
There was still a lot to do. It would soon be Gretchen’s turn to drive down to Lansing to meet with Dale and some other colleagues for training, while Naomi’s training as a teller would be happening at the new branch before the doors officially opened. They each also had a couple more shifts at Dune City to fulfill, but this particular time at the beginning of October felt as though it fully belonged to them. They knew that soon enough they’d be dressing professional and heading to the credit union, but for now they could strip down, hit the pool, and enjoy life.
Gretchen lifted her water bottle to her mouth and took a drink, looking out over the pool in front of her through the shade of her sunglasses. She smiled happily to herself, the sun warming her, and a cool breeze from the bay making itself known every so often to temper the heat. Looking to her left, she watched adoringly as Naomi applied sunscreen to her stomach, rubbing the creamy lotion from one side to the other.
After a moment, Naomi looked up and caught Gretchen watching. She smiled and pursed her lips into a kiss.
“This could be one of the last really nice days of the season,” said Gretchen.
“Yep,” Naomi agreed, returning to applying her sunblock.
“At the beginning of summer,” said Gretchen. “I never would have imagined things would end up as they have.”
“Yeah, me either,” Naomi said with a laugh.
“I couldn’t fathom going back to full-time work,” said Gretchen. “But neither did I have any clue you and I would end up together. It’s amazing how quickly things can change. If you blink you might miss it. I feel like I did blink and when I opened my eyes again, my life got immensely better.”
“Me too,” said Naomi happily. She put her sunscreen down on a table and went for her water bottle. “For me, the catalyst was the hike. I mean, no doubt. Doing that changed me at my core. I’d never even considered doing something like that before. It marked so many firsts for me, you know? First time leaving Michigan, first time on a plane, first time on such a long camping and hiking trip… and my first time with you.” Naomi beamed, her smile growing big and joyful.
“I can really feel the change in you,” Gretchen said. “You’re so much more confident now. So much stronger. You are Nova. And you’re not burning out, you’re still flaming bright and blazing through the sky. You’re an absolute celestial wonder.” Naomi laughed and shook her head.
“Thanks,” she said. “I’ll take it.”
“It’s true,” Gretchen confirmed with an earnest smile. “I’m happy to be with you on your journey.” Reaching out, she indicated that she wanted Naomi’s hand, and Naomi gladly gave it to her. Gretchen squeezed affectionately and she gazed at Naomi in adoration for a few expectant moments.
“We should go for a hike after this,” Naomi said. “Just in the preserve around the complex.”
“Yeah, totally,” Gretchen agreed. “I would definitely be down with that.”
“Are you going to miss having so much free time during the week to yourself?” asked Naomi.
“I will,” said Gretchen. “But you know, there’s so much more to life than just trying to live easy and put recreation above all else. Despite how free I’ve felt in living like that, I also have felt like I’ve fallen behind a bit. I don’t know. I’d say it’s a delicate balance, a balance I’m still searching for. It might be nice to have a little structure in my life again.”
“You know, for me,” Naomi added. “I feel like I’m finally becoming an adult. I know that’s stupid and silly and that I’ve been an adult for a long time. A decade, really. I just… wasn’t, you know? I wasn’t living my life, I wasn’t moving forward. I was stuck. But I feel so unstuck now and I feel like things are really happening for me. Who knows where this could all go. But it just feels right. It feels like I’m… doing it.”
“Instead of it doing you,” Gretchen posited.
“Exactly,” said Naomi. “That’s exactly it.”
“I’m so happy for you,” said Gretchen. “And happy for me, too. We’re figuring this out together and it’s so exciting and rewarding. I d
on’t know where I’d be headed if it weren’t for you, Naomi. It makes me smile until it hurts when I think about how this all ended up, and how it might not have worked out like this. Maybe you didn’t come with me to Maine, or maybe you didn’t feel confident coming out. Where would we be then?”
“Probably still working at Dune City, dreaming about each other,” Naomi said. “And just living life as friends instead of lovers.”
“Yeah, that’s probably right,” Gretchen confirmed. “That’s probably exactly what it would be.”
“I’m not afraid anymore,” Naomi said proudly. “If I can hike a hundred miles in the wilderness, with nothing but a backpack and my best friend by my side, there’s nothing I can’t do. I’m ready for whatever challenges come next. I’m ready to live my life.”
“Me too,” said Gretchen. She smiled, and she realized that she and Naomi were still holding hands. Leaning over and off of her chair, Gretchen closed in on Naomi and the girls kissed. It felt nice in the early autumn sun. So nice that they kissed a few more times before sitting back in their chairs and readjusting themselves.
“I’m going to take a dip,” Naomi said, widening her legs and placing her feet on the concrete below. “You want to come with me?”
“Yep,” said Gretchen.
Together the girls stood up from their chairs and prepared for the pool, removing their sunglasses, adjusting their bathing suits. Naomi came around from the other side of the chair and she leaned in and hugged Gretchen. They stood their hugging for a moment before walking together, hand in hand, over to the pool.
“Swim,” said Gretchen. “And then a hike.”
“And then a hike,” Naomi agreed with a laugh.
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