Her throat unexpectedly caught.
“My dad says moose can have thousands of ticks. He said to never try petting one or I could get line disease,” Avery said.
“Line disease? Dude, it’sLymedisease,” Summer said.
“Like the fruit? A lime? That doesn’t sound right,” Avery rebutted.
“Well, it’s notline, likeline dancing.I can tell you that,” Summer argued.
Ava turned to look at them bickering, their conversation so ridiculous, and so innocent, and she started laughing. She tried covering it behind her hand but failed when the giggles overcame her.
Summer joined in.
Then Avery.
When Ava recovered and searched for the moose again, it was gone and the shadows under the trees were longer.
Summer slapped at her arm, cursing the no-see-ums under her breath.
“I think it’s time to head back to the cabin. It’s getting dark,” Ava said.
“Wait, can I do one more thing?” Avery asked. “Can you get us closer to those lily pads right there?” He pointed to a cluster of lily pads with flowers blooming atop them.
They obliged, and Summer grabbed the strap on the back of his life jacket when she realized he was reaching into the water. He plucked two white water lilies, handing one to Summer and the other to Ava.
“Now we can go,” Avery said.
Ava exchanged a look with Summer over Avery’s head. His sweetness tugged at Ava’s heartstrings, the gesture so genuine and childlike.
“Beautiful. Thank you,” Ava told him, tucking the stem behind her ear, even if it meant she’d have water dripping down her neck.
He gave her a bashful smile and pointed to the opposite shore where the cabin was. “To the cabin,” he directed.
“Aye, aye, captain,” Summer said.
Their paddles sliced through the water, cutting a path home. Halfway across the pond, the mated pair of loons glided alongside them before dipping under the surface, much to Avery’s delight.
“Oh, by the way, squirt, it is Lyme disease. Ask Ava.”
“Sorry, Avery, it’s true,” Ava backed her up.
“I’m going to ask dad anyway,” Avery said, not believing them.
“Speaking of your dad, I haven’t heard from him yet. Looks like you’re stuck with us for a while longer. Anyone up for a movie?” Summer asked.
They approached the dock and fumbled their way out of the canoe, getting only partially wet from the jostling water. Summer pulled the canoe onto the shore, and Ava helped her flip it upside down so it could dry. They hurried up the steep slope to the cabin to escape the growing darkness and buzzing insects.
Ava rummaged in the kitchen to scrape together some kind of dinner. Her dad had to have something left behind she could work with. Summer and Avery wandered into the living room to check out the movies.
“I can’t believe your dad still had so many physical movies. He never moved to streaming, did he?” Summer called out.
Ava spotted a pizza in the freezer and preheated the oven.
“No. And he never changed his internet plan. I can’t even load a YouTube video out here,” Ava shouted back.
The only TV in the cabin was in her dad’s room, but the living room held a pull-down screen installed above the windows overlooking the lake, and a projector perched on a shelf above the couch. Growing up, they would all gather on the couch to watch movies,sometimes making blanket forts for extra coziness. Those kinds of days felt more special as Ava grew older and family movie days turned into movie dates with Owen, hidden away from the outside world.
The memory sparked an idea. She shoved the pizza in the oven and joined them in the living room.
