Summer, #1
The Summer I Turned Pretty
by Jenny Han
Contents
chapter forty - four
Overview
As the summer winds down, Belly withdraws from Cam, accepts her enduring love for Conrad, and appreciates Jeremiah’s decision to let things return to normal. She resolves to focus on Susannah and to preserve the feel of their past summers, clarifying her priorities as departure looms.
Summary
With the end of summer approaching, Belly feels the beach house shift from paradise to confinement, anticipating the annual mix of wanting to leave and never wanting to go. The season’s close makes every moment feel finite and charged.
Cam calls Belly twice. She lets both calls go to voicemail and chooses not to return them, unable to explain that she will always love Conrad while still holding a small place in her heart for Cam. Her silence becomes her decision.
Jeremiah makes it easier by acting as if his confession never happened. He jokes, calls her "Belly Button," and restores their familiar rhythm, sparing Belly from confrontation and pressure.
In this calm, Belly finally understands Conrad’s earlier distance: like him, she cannot handle the emotional tangle. She decides to spend her remaining time at the house with Susannah, trying to soak up the last of summer and pretend it is like the summers before, even as she knows change is inevitable.
Who Appears
- Belly (Isabel Conklin)Narrator; ignores Cam’s calls, acknowledges enduring love for Conrad, accepts Jeremiah’s truce, focuses on time with Susannah.
- Conrad FisherOff-page presence; Belly realizes his avoidance mirrors her own and affirms her lasting love for him.
- Jeremiah FisherEases tension by acting normal, letting Belly off the hook after his confession.
- CamLeaves voicemails hoping to see Belly; she chooses not to call back.
- Susannah FisherFocus of Belly’s remaining days; symbol of the summers Belly tries to preserve.