“No. As a family, we didn’t go on vacations far from home, so when it came time for college, we both picked schools on the opposite side of the country. I should have done more. I just . . . I took her at her word. I pushed, but the more I did, the more she recoiled, so I toed the line and—I think the hardest part is not having all the answers but—” She reached for my hand and went silent.
“But,” I prompted, needing her to finish her thought process.
“I feel lighter today than I have in a long time and . . . and that’s because of you.”
Her smile radiated with contentment while her eyes poignantly exposed the strength in her soul. My eyes dropped to where our fingers interlocked. The physical touch combined with her truth was all the proof I needed to understand what her head and heart were reconciling.
She cared.
She was open to letting me inside her walls, and her state of mind had had a breakthrough, that much I was sure of.
“I’ve only ever talked to Jenna about my sister, but I still felt alone. Being here with you, I don’t feel that way anymore. Thank you. Thank you for bringing me here and sharing the place you hold so close to your heart.” She tilted her head and cast her eyesight toward the water. “It’s absolutely serene; it makes me feel grounded and at peace. And yes, I know that has to sound strange, given how special this place is to your family, but I don’t know how else to describe it. It’s just a feeling I’ve got in here.” She held one hand over her chest while lightly squeezing my hand with her other.
I joined in her line of sight and took in one of my favorite views, the glow of the morning sun dancing across the top of the lake.
“You’re awfully quiet over there. I hope I haven’t overstepped.”
“No, just thinking is all.” Carrying on after a loss was far from easy, there’s no fool-proof recipe, and no one’s journey was the same. Sitting here talking to Lakelyn stirred all those insights back to the surface, and while I couldn’t take away her pain, I could relate. “And you’re right; not having all the answers is one of the toughest parts for those left behind. The what-ifs can consume us and even become debilitating if we aren’t careful, but I learned from the deepest despair that life is a gift. We need to make the best of every situation or challenge we’re faced with, celebrate all triumphs no matter the size and don’t be afraid to seize an opportunity when presented.” Feeling inspired, I pushed to my feet. “And now is one of those times where life is calling on us to do something crazy.”
“Oh yeah, do tell.”
“Ever cannonballed into a lake?”
“Ah, nope,” she replied with an extra pop of thep.
“Then you’ve been missing out.”
“I have, have I?”
“Yes, so what do you say, Ms. Pearce, you game?”
She jumped to her feet rather enthusiastically, and I couldn’t help but be enraptured by her smile.
“Normally, I’d come up with reasons as to why I shouldn’t do something that might make me uncomfortable, like in this particular case, my argument to convince myself not to jump in the lake would be my mascara isn’t waterproof, and then there’s the fact that I don’t have a proper bathing suit. But you’re right, none of that matters in the grand scheme of things. As long as I’m alive and making memories, that’s the important takeaway.”
Lakelyn then whipped the hoodie she was wearing over her head and dropped it to the ground, exposing her black lacy bra before shimmying out of my joggers, revealing her hunter-green underwear with a thick piece of black lace wrapped around her hips. Hips I wanted to wrap my hands around.
“Bra and underwear are basically no different than a bikini, right?”
“Sure,” I coughed out while inwardly groaning.
Oh. Hell. No.
A swimsuit was meant to be seen in public, but this was entirely different by my standards. Lingerie was intimate and private, and seeing her this uninhibited and confident in her skin was not only a mind trip but was sexier-than-fuck.
Once I divested myself of my clothes, only leaving my boxers on, I reached for her hand, needing to get in the water as soon as possible before she noticed the effect she had on me.
“Should we run on three?”
“And you promise my feet won’t touch anything gross or rocks or anything?”
“You’re safe with me.”
You’ll always be safe with me.
“Okay, on three.”
“Three, two, one.” I counted down, and then we sprinted, running across the dewy grass and down the slight embankment. Once our feet hit the wood planks on the dock I’d built, we picked up speed as we passed the rowboat I had tethered to the side until we jumped in the air, released our hold on one another and executed our cannonballs like two carefree little kids.
