Henry pocketed the money and said, "Let's start preparing the soil over the next couple of days. Once the land is ready, Sophia and I will take a day off to go to the farmers' market to buy seeds."
Grace and Lily were momentarily taken aback.
Grace, always polite with Henry, smiled and asked, "Why are you and Sophia going?"
Taking a day off from farm work to go shopping sounded appealing to everyone.
Henry looked at Grace and paused, "Do you want to go too?"
Lily chimed in, "Since we've been here, we haven't had many chances to visit the market. Why don't we all go together?"
Living together, everyone's happiness was important.
Henry, seeing the enthusiasm, said, "Alright, let's all go to the market and have some fun for half a day!"
Everyone cheered up at this, smiling at one another. They began discussing what else they could do at the market besides buying seeds.
With the plan set, Henry told them, "There's still some time before we have to head back to work. Why don't you all take a rest?"
The others agreed and got up to leave, but Henry stayed behind.
Seeing him stay, Sophia also remained seated. When the others had gone, Sophia moved closer to Henry. Seeing the emotion in his eyes, she asked, "Are you thinking about Summer and Logan?"
With no one else around, Henry was more relaxed. He put an arm around Sophia's shoulder and smiled, "With you by my side, how could I have time to think about anyone else?"
Sophia looked at Henry, "I'm not petty. Summer is your sister, and it's natural for you to care about her. I just want you to know that you can talk to me when you're feeling down."
Henry gazed at Sophia for a moment before smiling, "You're the best."
Sophia smiled back and then leaned into his embrace.
***
In the school office, Summer sat at her desk, looking in a mirror. Recently, her face had become clearer in the mirror, and she could almost see her features.
While she was happily examining her reflection, Logan walked in. Hearing his footsteps, Summer glanced up, tempted to ask where he had been, but hesitated, fearing he might find her bothersome.
Since they had settled into their roles at the school, Summer and Logan would go there after lunch if there was no pressing work to do, avoiding the rest of the group at the commune.
At the school, they either graded students' assignments, read books, or worked on their own studies. Sometimes, they would even nap at their desks.
After lunch, Summer had just returned from a restroom break to find Logan gone from the office. She wasn't particularly curious, not wanting him to think she was watching him too closely, so she didn't ask.
Logan, on the other hand, didn't acknowledge Summer as he sat down at his desk. Summer turned her attention back to her mirror, but soon found herself wanting to ask him something else.
She looked at Logan and asked, "Can I ask you something?"
Logan, flipping through a book, didn't look up, "Go ahead."
With a hint of hope in her voice, Summer asked, "Do you think my face has changed recently?"
Logan glanced at her, then at her mirror, before returning to his book, "Why are you so fixated on something you don't have?"
Summer was taken aback, feeling dejected. She put the mirror back in her drawer, regretting asking him.
Noticing her silence, Logan looked at her again and said, "Not all men are like Henry, only caring about looks. You don't need to obsess over superficial things just because Henry doesn't like you."
Summer turned to Logan, "Do you not care about looks?"
Logan, uninterested, replied, "It doesn't matter."
Summer blinked at him. It was true; he really didn't care. It wasn't just about looks; he was indifferent to all women.
She decided not to pursue the topic further and picked up her pen to focus on her studies.
After working on a few problems, Summer couldn't help but ask again, "So, has there been any change?"
Logan rolled his eyes, "No!"
If there was no change, then there was no change. She'd been living with this unremarkable face for years and didn't mind continuing to do so. She shoved the thought aside and focused on her work.
Before long, it was time for afternoon classes. Logan went out to ring the bell, signaling the start of class, and then headed to the classroom with his lesson plans.
Summer continued working at her desk, occasionally looking up to rest her eyes. While doing so, she noticed a young girl sneaking in through the gate with a baby strapped to her back. The girl had been coming to the school for a while, always trying to listen in on the lessons.
When the girl disappeared from view, Summer resumed her work. Once finished, she got up and went outside. From the doorway, she saw the girl crouching by the classroom window, balancing the baby while listening intently.
Seeing the girl's dedication, Summer didn't call out to her. Instead, she quietly approached and gently tapped her shoulder. The girl jumped, ready to run when she saw it was Summer.
Summer held her back and whispered, "I'm not here to chase you away. Come with me."
The girl, Amy, looked both embarrassed and frightened but followed Summer to the office. Once inside, Summer asked softly, "What's your name?"
The girl replied in a small voice, "Amy."
Summer smiled and gestured for Amy to sit at her desk. Despite being only a couple of years older than Amy, Summer exuded a calm authority.
Amy, looking guilty, whispered, "I'm sorry. I won't come again."
Summer assured her, "I didn't bring you here to scold you. I've seen you around. You don't need to be nervous."
Amy fidgeted with her fingers, "Then why did you bring me here?"
Summer pulled out a dictionary from her drawer and asked, "How's your phonics?"
Amy, still quiet, said, "Pretty good. I've learned some by listening at the window and with Billy's help..."
She trailed off, unsure if mentioning Billy was a good idea. Summer considered this and figured Billy had been a good teacher.
"Do you know how to use a dictionary?" Summer asked.
Amy, having never seen one, shook her head. Summer opened the dictionary and said, "Let me teach you. Once you know how to use it, you can look up any word you don't recognize."
Amy's eyes widened with surprise. "Really?"
Summer nodded, "It's simple."
Amy, overwhelmed with gratitude, seemed unsure how to express it. Summer took the initiative, pulling Logan's chair over for Amy to sit beside her.
Amy, sitting stiffly, watched as Summer patiently explained how to use the dictionary. Amy caught on quickly, learning after just one explanation.
Pleased, Summer then pulled out two comic books from her drawer and handed them to Amy with the dictionary. "You can borrow these. The stories are simple, and if you come across any words you don't know, you can look them up."
Amy's face lit up with joy, though she hesitated to accept the gifts. "You've already done so much by teaching me to use the dictionary."
Summer insisted, "I'm lending them to you, not giving them away. You can return them once you're done."
Amy, finally convinced, took the books with a tearful smile, "Thank you, Miss Summer."
Summer watched as Amy, now visibly emotional, left the office, clutching the books to her chest.