The Summer I Turned Pretty, #2
It's Not Summer Without You
by Jenny Han
Contents
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Overview
Belly recalls a summer night when Susannah glamorized her and the parents went dancing, a rare moment of shared happiness. Contrasting her patient, steady father with exuberant Mr. Fisher, Belly reflects on her parents’ conflict-free marriage. Spurred by Taylor’s experience with divorce, Belly questions quiet love and resolves to seek enduring passion.
Summary
Belly remembers a weekend when both sets of parents visited the summer house and planned a fancy dinner with dancing. Watching from Susannah’s bed, Belly notes the contrast between chatty Mr. Fisher and her reserved father. Susannah dresses Laurel in a red dress and gives Belly a smoky eye, delighting Belly with the ritual of shared femininity and the opal jewelry she adores.
Downstairs, Belly’s father teases that she looks “very mature,” a compliment she treasures. The parents leave dressed up and happy; Belly’s father promises late-night stargazing if she’s awake. Belly marks this as one of the last times she remembers them truly happy.
Shifting to reflection, Belly contrasts her parents’ calm, fightless marriage with Taylor’s parents’ volatile relationship and eventual divorce. Taylor suggests that even fighting meant family, while Belly wonders if the absence of conflict in her own home signaled fading passion.
These memories push Belly to question whether her parents ever felt an all-consuming love. Comparing it to her feelings for Conrad, she resolves not to repeat her parents’ quiet drift and instead to seek a love that burns and endures.
Who Appears
- BellyNarrator; recalls a happy parents’ night out, treasures Susannah’s attention, questions her parents’ quiet marriage, and vows enduring passionate love.
- Susannah FisherPlayfully glamorizes Belly and dresses Laurel; warm, stylish presence anchoring a rare moment of family happiness.
- Laurel (Belly’s mother)Wears Susannah’s red dress; jokes with Susannah and Belly; emblem of a calm, conflict-free marriage Belly later questions.
- Mr. FisherTalkative, lively contrast to Belly’s father; heads out dancing with Susannah on the remembered night.
- Belly’s fatherQuiet, patient, promises stargazing; his steadiness prompts Belly’s doubts about passion in her parents’ marriage.
- TaylorFriend whose parents’ divorce informs Belly’s reflections on conflict, family, and the meaning of lasting love.