Her parents wouldn’t freak out if they knew. Taylor’s dad has so much chill that he’d say he loves her no matter who she loves. And her mom would probably turn into the LGBT version of a soccer mom—in a good way. Taylor knows she’s lucky, and it’s a comfort to know that when she’s ready to come out to them, she won’t have to fear for her safety. But she’s not ready yet. She’s still adjusting to the thrill of being able to fantasize about kissing a girl who actually wants to kiss her back.

Willa seems a little more cheerful as she rummages through the racks at a thrift shop only a few blocks from the pier. She slips her arms into a raspberry-colored faux-fur jacket. Taylor would look like an overgrown Muppet wearing something so fluffy, but Willa can pull it off. Taylor snaps a picture with her instant. “That’s super adorable. You should buy it.”

Willa glances at the price tag and gnaws her lower lip. “It’s more than I’d normally spend.”

“Okay, but where will you find something this cute in Ohio? And don’t forget how cold it gets in Cleveland during the winter.”

Willa smiles. “I do kinda love it.”

“Cam will take it back home for you,” Taylor says, and Willa crinkles her nose at the mention of his name. “I know, but it’s the least he can do after being such a dick.”

“Thanks,” Willa says quietly, as she drapes the coat over her arm and moves on to browse the next rack. “For spending the day with me, I mean. And adding some thrift shops to the itinerary.”

Taylor had planned the day while Willa was sleeping, so Willa has no idea where they’re going next. Taylor likes being the expert for a change.

They visit three more thrifts, where she watches as Willa ferrets out a pair of skinny black pants, a gray mohair cardigan, and a red velvet slip dress that would look awesome with black ankle boots. In the last shop, Taylor finds a Rough Trade T-shirt. As they wait their turn at the cash register, she says, “You have the coolest fashion sense. When did that even happen? How did I not notice?”

“We had a jeans day in sixth grade and I wore a T-shirt that my mom bought at the Goodwill,” Willa says. “When I got to school, Madelyn Davies told me it used to be her shirt and pointed out a little mustard stain on the sleeve to prove it. She and her friends spent the rest of the day laughing at me.”