Letting her toes skim the top of the water, her legs not quite long enough to let her feet truly enjoy the cool comfort of the lake, Spencer was mesmerized by the ripples she was creating. Figure eights, smiley faces, hearts, whatever she desired she could make. To an onlooker, this may have not seemed like anything more than a woman passing the time, but to Spencer this little act symbolized so much more.

Right now, she was in charge. No one else was around; it seemed as if even the fish and frogs knew that this was her time. The lake was still, untouched, unscathed until she made the decision otherwise. It was as flat as a hospital bed sheet and the moment her toes touched the water, the power she felt was immeasurable. She could dunk them in an out if she really wanted to stir things up; she could squiggle patterns on the surface if she was feeling especially creative; she could scoot herself until she almost felt as if she was going to fall off the dock and let her feet completely submerge in the water. It would ripple at first, as if an intruder had disrupted its silence, but then it would grow accustomed to the foreign object and the lake would return to its still form once again.

That was the one bad thing about this entire process: nothing she did was permanent, she had no lasting effect. The lake wouldn’t know the difference if she just took her toes out for a moment or if she left the country; either way, she was gone. The fish would continue their swimming, the frogs their jumping and the lake its serene embracing, forgetting she was ever here. This lake, this cabin, it’s as if this entire city was a dream, just waiting for someone to wake up. Sure, they would have that nagging feeling of trying to remember what they dreamt about, but ultimately they would give up and go about their day without giving it a second thought.

Is this how it was going to be with Ashley?

Would their time here end, the two of them going their separate ways only to never speak again?

No.

Spencer couldn’t – wouldn’t – believe it. She couldn’t be positive of what Ashley was feeling, but if it was even a fraction of what she was then this couldn’t be forgotten with the separation of a few hundred miles.