Chapter 5.20 – Long time no see

-Emmett-

The alarm tone on my phone I set up last night woke me up. I turned it off and looked at the time. 5:00 AM

I sat up on the bed and rubbed my eyes. The room was still dark so I turned on the lamp sitting on the side table.

“Hey.” I whispered towards Owen and nudged him gently. “It’s time, wake up.”

My boyfriend turned to his side and mumbled something inaudible.

I knew he wasn’t going to wake up but I tried. I pulled a hoodie over my shirt that I slept in and quietly made my way downstairs, grabbing my rod and tackle box on the way. I pulled them out of the storage last night so I wouldn’t wake my sister up going through the stuff in there.

I walked out of the cabin and the cool air woke me right up. I was glad I grabbed dad’s jacket from the hook by the front door.

As I was untying the rope that held the boat I noticed how much the green paint is peeling off. It’s no wonder, the thing was already old when we got it. My father bought it for a few hundred dollars from a neighbor that was upgrading to a motorized boat. That was more than ten years ago.

After a few minutes of fighting with the wet rope, I was finally paddling towards the center of the lake.

When I was satisfied with the spot, I pulled my fishing rod and casted. I loved the whooshing sound it made.

When the first light started to hit the water I looked into the distance to watch the sun rise.

I really wish Owen was here right now.

The gentle waves were rocking my boat slowly and I was drowning in my thoughts for the next few hours. My dad was coming to my mind. Fishing was the only thing we ever bonded over. I enjoyed coming out here with him, even if we sat quietly most of the time.

I missed the weekends we spent at the cabin. As I was sitting there, I made a promise to myself, that once I finally get my degree, I’ll make time to come here more often.

-Emmalee-

I let out a big yawn while standing by the coffee maker, waiting for it to finish brewing.

I filled my cup to the top, slipped into my pink sandals and walked outside.

I was planning on having my morning coffee on the deck like most mornings, but I noticed the boat is missing, so I decided to walk all the way to the dock. I plopped on the lounge chair and searched the lake for a sign of my brother.

“Good morning.” Owen’s voice interrupted me right at the moment I spotted his blond head in the middle of the lake.

I turned around to see my future, or so I hoped, brother in law, walking with a cup of coffee towards me.

“Morning.” I smiled and then looked back at the lake, nodding in Emmett’s direction. “How long has he been out there?”

“I don’t know.” He sighed as he was sitting down on the chair next to me. “Since five I think. He wanted me to come with him but I couldn’t wake up. Must be the fresh air, makes me sleepy.”

I laughed at his explanation. He was right, though. I slept like a baby here, too.

We didn’t talk for a moment, enjoying the peace and quiet.

“How are you holding up here? Aren’t you loosing you mind yet?” Owen asked curiously.

“Not at all.” I shook my head. “I’m done with the city.”

He sat up in his chair, surprised. “Really? You’re not coming back?”

“Not even if you paid me.” I closed my eyes and let the morning sun warm my face. “I don’t want to hear police sirens wailing every day and night, reminding me of the horrific thing. I don’t want to sit in traffic every time I need to go to a store. I want to see stars when I look up at night, not beams of light coming from night clubs.”

I heard him settle back down and take a sip of his coffee, followed by a blissful ‘aahhh‘, before he responded. “Yeah…you might be onto something.”

“I know I am.” I said confidently. “I just need to find the right town.”

The following few months I spent in the cabin were pretty uneventful, yet incredibly healing for me.

I had regular zoom sessions with my therapist and even she noticed the improvement. Pretty soon I should be able to stop taking antidepressants or at least significantly lower the dose.

I still went running daily. Man was I enjoying here. I always loved it, even in Summerset, but the views I was getting here when I made it up the hills were so rewarding.

Yoga was another part of my routine. I wasn’t half good at it since I never actually attended a real class and all poses I knew were from videos I found online, but it made me feel great physically and mentally and that’s what mattered the most.

I wasn’t always alone. My parents came pretty much every weekend and when my Mum had to work, she’d send Emmett and Owen.

The best visit was my favorite couple – Caroline and Jimmy. I couldn’t picture them together at first, but when they came, bringing Elijah along, it was the most natural looking family I’ve ever seen. Jimmy may not be Elijah’s biological father, but watching them wrestle on the floor, you would never know.

When the days started to grow warmer, I spent a lot of time on the dock, sunbathing and eventually, once the water reached a temperature that was comfortable for swimming I spent a lot of time in the lake, mostly just lounging on my floating donut. Rocket loved to swim around me and couldn’t get enough.

On this day I decided to go check out the beach on the other side of the lake. It’s been a while since I’ve been there and I can pick up some pizza on the way home. I was craving something I didn’t cook myself.

I pulled my old bike out of the storage, packed a backpack with towel, sunscreen, water and other necessities and I was on my way. Rocket had to stay home this time because dogs weren’t allowed on the beach during summer months.

When I arrived, the beach was already filling up with people, even though it was only nine in the morning.

Once I found a spot, that was close enough to walk to the water, but also far enough so screaming kids don’t bother me, I took off my dress that was hiding my bathing suit and stretched my body on the public lounge chair.

I was soaking in the sun, thinking about my life, picturing what my future holds for me and just enjoying the hot summer day.

Suddenly I felt a shade cover part of my body.

“Emmalee? Is that you?” The familiar male voice said.

I looked up, using my hand as a shield to protect my eyes from the bright light and my smile widened. “Kevin…Hi!”

“Long time no see.”