“We’re here a week.” I figured that said more than enough about how crazy that concept was.
“Some utilize their time more effectively than others.” Leo grinned yet again. I was beginning to wonder if the guy had frowned even once in his life. I cocked an eyebrow. “Not that that’s the purpose of camp. Most of you are here to enjoy yourself in the great outdoors, but there are a fortunate few who have met their person while they were under our starry umbrella. A week can be a long time to some people.” He touched the board reverently and smiled. “And I do love weddings.”
He genuinely seemed to mean it. I tried to get more of a read on this guy but was coming up empty. He had this unexplainable chaotic yet calming presence that made me want to learn more. He came off as a romantic, maybe a jokester given his interaction with Hazel back at the start. Something about his easy laughter pulled me in, making me appreciate the short reprieve from the noise outside as more and more campers arrived.
“So, James, have you ever been to summer camp before?”
The cynic in me questioned if admitting I hadn’t been to camp would be some kind of sin, like maybe I wouldn’t belong here if I had never been involved in this world as a kid. But Leo’s honest gaze told me that maybe that was all right.
“No, I haven’t.”
“A camp newbie? That’s amazing.” His happy demeanor assuaged my fears. “You’re going to have so much fun, I promise.”
He took the papers I’d finished without looking at them and tossed them on a disorganized desk, clapping once and bouncing up. There was something so sincere about him, and instantly, I wanted to know more while also knowing now wasn’t the time.
I hadn’t realized how desperate I was for friendship until today.
He walked me outside and I practically ran into Ren, who was smiling from ear to ear. We made our way back to the entrance where people had gathered, taking photos next to the Camp Starlight sign.
“I’m only going to be gone a week,” a lanky man promised three children and a woman by an SUV. The kids were crying. The woman shrugged as if she didn’t know what had come over them. He picked up his duffel bag and waved them off as the woman pressured them to get back into the car. In any other circumstance, the roles would be reversed, and the kids would be dropped off. It was surreal.
We found Hazel again, talking with another camper with a precariously teetering cast iron skillet on top of his bag next to what looked like a kettle. I was a little grateful that Ren had forced me to downsize, because showing up with a tent would have drawn too much notice. He listened to Hazel with rapt attention.
“So nice to meet you, Leroy. I’m Hazel, and this is my camp.” She threw a thumb over her shoulder and pointed at Leo, who was already crouched down talking to a little boy. “That guy over there will say the same thing, but he’s really just the co-owner.”
“Aren’t those the same—”
“They really aren’t,” she interjected.
Leroy smiled as if he didn’t understand the joke. He handed her a waiver, and she took it without looking while checking something off on her clipboard.
Ren extended a hand to Hazel, introducing himself before praising our new home away from home. “This place is so cool. How’d you come up with the concept?”
Her eyes lit up. “That’s a great story, actually—”
“Hey, are you Ren and… Janes?” a man said as he approached us. He looked like the quintessential lifeguard from a teen movie, if that character were in his forties.
“James,” I corrected.
“My bad. Leo always makes these packets up, and he has shit handwriting.” He shook his braids from his face and grinned, flashing his clipboard to me, and I tilted my head to read the chicken scratch. “Looks like you are in Orion pod. I’m Lamar, and I will be your cruise ship director. So if you two are ready, saddle up, and we’ll take off.”
“That’s too many conflicting ideas, Lamar,” Hazel teased. She handed us folders with our names on them. “Good luck. Don’t let him sell you on motion sickness relief. You won’t be sleeping on a boat.”
I took my folder and saw a bigOrionmarked at the top. I tucked it under my arm, ready to begin. Maybe I was going to like this camp thing after all.
Iwasright.Ihad no clue what I’d gotten myself into.
I followed my camp counselor, a term that made me laugh inwardly because I was thirty-years-old and it sounded like I was twelve.
On the walk, I saw some cabins, a zipline, and a gorgeous lake replete with a dock and a sandy beach. In my info packet was a map containing activities I hadn’t had time to go over yet. Lamar was happy to explain when meals were and what activities he led, as well as a silly story about the early days of camp. Apparently, Hazel and Leo had been messing around with a metal detector and found a chained-up ammo box that turned out to be filled with Hot Wheels toys.
I was completely caught off guard as we approached and he pointed us to our mini cabins. I expected tents. I expected tarps… I didn’t expect glamping. There was a campfire and outdoor tables at the center, with a larger cabin at the back as well as five tiny cabins surrounding it. I approached my own, suitcase in tow, and opened my welcome packet to find my key code.
“We’ve got a two-hour window before dinner at the mess hall, so go ahead and unpack and then we’ll reconvene at five fifteen.”
I went into my cabin, and my jaw dropped. A massive window in the back faced the shimmering lake. The room itself couldn’t have been more than seventy-five square feet, containing a floor-level queen-size bed and a small dresser with a mirror, but the first thing I thought as I entered was,This is perfect.
I dropped my duffel next to the dresser and sat on the edge of the bed facing the lake. It was magnificent. I could already imagine myself jumping off the dock, feeling the sun wash over me as I swam amidst the rippling water. I was in visual overload as I looked out the window. Blue sky was surrounded by gorgeous fir trees, and wildlife—there was an actual chipmunkoutside my front door. I couldn’t help but feel that this was exactly what I needed.
