‘Where?’
‘Wait and see.’
‘Fine, I’ll guess. Is it a lake?’
‘No.’
‘Cave?’
‘No.’
‘Hidden beach?’
‘No. Stop guessing.’
‘Why?’
‘Because we’re here.’ I led her down a short path, pushing aside some undergrowth. ‘Careful, the rocks are slippery.’
This time, she didn’t gasp. This time, she was speechless.
‘Welcome to Silverbell Falls,’ I told her. ‘Beautiful any time of the year, but especially now, when they’re mostly frozen.’
‘Oh, they’re beautiful,’ she finally managed to say.
We were near the edge of a waterhole. Around us, tall trees. Pines mostly, but also tall birches, firs and spruces. Some cedars. All covered with snow. On the other side of the waterhole, the river emerged through a narrowed gap in two small, craggy, rock faces, only a couple of meters high. The river itself was only a couple of meters wide, but most of it was covered in ice and snow at the moment, apart from a small ribbon in the middle of fresh, running water that had resisted freezing. It made a melodic sound as it fell onto the water and ice below.
‘How did you find this place?’ she asked, turning around in a small circle to make sure she was taking it all in.
‘Came across it one summer while hiking.’ I shrugged my backpack off and lowered it to the ground. ‘A few locals know of its existence, but most can’t be bothered to hike all the way out here for a swim when there are bigger, much closer waterholes to town.’
‘I don’t blame them. Two-hour hike to get out here and then yes, have a swim in this gorgeous, incredible setting,but, then you have to turn around and hike two hours back to your car, by the end of which you’d be all hot and sticky again.’
‘I think it’s worth it.’
She took a step forward, marveling at the waterfall, most of it suspended in time and motion. ‘It was definitely worth the hike today,’ she agreed. ‘It’s like something out of a fairy tale.’
I stared at the pompom on the top of her hat. Little flecks of snow resting in the green strands of wool.
‘Can I tell you something?’ I found myself saying, without even realizing I was going to say anything. There was just something about this moment, being here and now with her. It just blurted out. ‘Something I’ve never told anyone before.’
She turned around, her skin pale from the cold apart from two spots of pink on her cheeks and her little rosebud mouth. Her eyes sparkled at me curiously. ‘Of course.’
‘You asked me the other day, what my dream was.’
She nodded. ‘Yes. You said it wasn’t being a lobsterman.’
I opened my arms wide. ‘Thisis my dream.’
She frowned a little, understandably confused.
‘You know how I told you that my parents have always expected me to take over running the hotel.’
She nodded again.
‘It’s never appealed to me. Dressing up in suits, holding meetings, networking. Learning about occupancy rates versus staffing levels, and marketing et cetera. It’s just not me. But this, being out here. This is.’
‘I don’t understand.’
