In the morning, Marek goes to the hotel gym to work out and tries to convince me to go with him. I don’t know why I’m reluctant. I used to enjoy working out, even though it was something I had to do. But I give in and accompany him and spend forty-five minutes walking on the treadmill. It’s something.
At lunch, I bravely venture into one of the resort’s restaurants. With my hair in a ponytail and no makeup, I don’t attract any attention. Then Marek wants to go on a hike.
I’m not sure about this, but he’s looked at maps and hiking paths, so I dress warmly and put on my new boots, and we drive to the start of the trail he’s picked. It’s down a narrow snow-packed road that makes me nervous. Our vehicle is the only one in the small parking lot, which also doesn’t give me good vibes. I stop in front of a big sign at the beginning of the trail that says:
WARNING
PROCEED WITH CAUTION
STAY ON MAIN TRAIL
KEEP AWAY FROM CLIFF EDGE
I turn to look at Marek, my eyes bugging out. “Cliff?”
He seems unbothered. “Yeah. We’ll have some great views.”
I make a quiet whimpering noise but follow him onto the path.
But as we set out, the sun pops out from behind clouds and makes the snow glisten so brightly I need my sunglasses, and I breathe in cold air that carries the scent of spruce. It’s kind of beautiful.
The snow is deeper than I expected in places and I’m glad for the taller boots that Marek suggested. Also, it’s hard work walking through snow, and it makes my heart hammer even more than it already was because of the snow.
The tree branches stretch above us bare and black, with mounds of snow resting on the boughs of the evergreen trees. We spot a fox and Marek pauses to point out a falcon soaring high above us.
“Are there bears here?” I ask.
“Yeah, but we won’t see any.”
I gulp. “How do you know we won’t see any?”
“They want to avoid us.”
I’m unconvinced and my eyes dart around the forest as we walk. “Do you know where you’re going?”
He stops, turns, and gives me a testy look. “Yes, I know where we’re going.”
I smile tightly. “Okay! Just checking.”
He turns back to leading the way. “We should be at the waterfall in about fifteen minutes.”
“I might be dead in fifteen minutes.”
He stops and turns again. “Why? What’s wrong?”
“This is hard work, walking through snow! My legs aren’t as long as yours. Also, I’m not a professional athlete.”
His brows twitch toward each other. “Do you want to go back?”
“No, I’m just being dramatic.”
One side of his mouth pulls up. “Ah. Okay. Want some water?”
He’s wearing a backpack containing bottles of water and snacks.
“I’m okay for now.”
We keep hiking, the silence broken only by the crunch of our feet in the snow and the occasional song of sparrows and familiar chicka-dee-dee-dee. My breathing gets faster and I focus on keeping it slow and steady.
