From the Ashes

The morning greets me with soothing brilliance, the sun pouring across my bed as my eyes flutter open. I take a deep breath as I screw my eyes back shut and stretch under the blankets, trying to shake the ragged edges off of my emotional wellbeing. My stomach knots slightly when the memory of last night settles into my consciousness. Sitting up to hug my knees and rub my eyes, I look out at the brilliant summer morning. The sun plays beautifully through the trees outside the window as if it were apologizing for last night’s storm, I imagine with a small smile.

Whenever I experience emotional pain, I always remember the one sole rule that I’ve discovered through experience, the one that outshines all others with its truth: Everything gets better after the initial shock. The very first pain is always the worst, and it always gets better after that’s out of the way. I know the same is true for this situation, and I give a tired smile at the swaying leaves as I remember that. The feeling in my gut will go away soon, I just have to not worry about it and wait for time to whisk it away.

With renewed vigor, I climb out of bed to brush my hair out and give it a 5-minute fix with a straightener. Noticing silence throughout the hall while I do so, I wonder if I had either woken up much earlier than the rest of the house, or much later. I dig through my bag to throw on some clothes before wandering down the hall to investigate. Roman and Sage’s rooms are empty, so I guess I woke up a little late. Noise from the big room down the hall confirms my suspicion. Reaching the balcony, I see Sage down in the den below with one of his siblings, and a few of Roman’s little cousins. I smile as I watch him commentate on a Hot-wheels race across the wooden floor, adding his positive words to the excited sound effects the kids are making. I go down to join them.

“Nice of you to rejoin the living,” he greets with a playful smile, and I cross my arms as I stand above his crouched form.

“Yeah, yeah... I slept in for the first time in a few days, bite me,” I retort as I wrinkle my nose. “What’s going on today?”

“Breakfast is being made in the adults’ cabin, I’ll be bringing these guys down there soon. It should be ready in a bit. After that, I think Roman wants to take you to the mining lakes.” I perk at the last bit, being the fan of water activities.

“That sounds awesome! Is Roman down at the lower cabin?” I ask.

“I think,” he chuckles with a shrug. I nod with a smile, thanking him before padding up the strip to slip on my flip-flops and head down to the lower cabin. I didn’t even notice how amazing the air conditioning in the cabin was until the thick wall of sticky humidity hits me when I get outside. Definitely a perfect day for swimming, it was already pretty hot out.

The smell of pancakes and waffles greets me at the door of the lower cabin, and I’m instantly bade warm good mornings by various family members in the dining room. It all smells mouth-wateringly delicious, and I happily snack on the fresh-cut fruit that’s laid out across one end of the table. The stragglers join the breakfast, some from outside, some from the upper cabin, and we all sit down at the giant table to eat together. I finally spot Roman from across the table as I load two flapjacks onto my plate.

“Mornin’, Allie,” he says with a Roman-ey smile. Eyes lazily hooded, brows cocked, mouth slid up on one side. I smirk, appreciative of his consistency of character despite last night. I give him a nod as I pour maple syrup on my breakfast, and he sits down across from me.

“How are you doing this morning?” he asks in a lower voice, and I glance up to catch the slightest of pointed looks. His eyes are steady now. I shrug with a grin as I cut into my food, giving him a smirk.

“Hungry as a bear,” I say with my mouth full. I hear him snort in front of me. He’s smirking when I glance back up.

“I see that,” he chuckles.

“Sage told me we’re going to some lakes today?” I ask, food stuffed in my cheeks like a rodent. Roman stifles a smile with a hand as he murmurs his reply around it.

“The Emerald Lakes. Made from the old coal mines up here, wait ‘till you see them.” I swallow down some cranberry juice as I raise my eyebrows.

“Sounds awesome, when are we heading out?”

“Right after breakfast. It’s just gonna be you, me, and Sage, if that’s alright.”

“Sweet,” I chuckle. This property was already getting a little small with the amount of family around all the time, I didn’t mind going off on our own one bit. Roman flashes me a smile as he digs into his waffles.

“Good.”

**********************

We finish our breakfast and wait for Sage to eat after he comes down with the kids from the upper cabin, all heading up to put bathing suits on under our clothes once he’s done. Roman suggests with a grin that I should drive to the lakes as the three of us head down from the cabins. I whack him on the arm and decline firmly.

Leaving a trail of shimmering dust in the sunlight behind us, we bump along the dirt road past cabins and cottages on our way to the lakes, Roman and Sage telling me how awesome they are. The sun is burning through the mist that rolls above the small pockets of meadow as we drive along the dirt road, the birds singing in the trees all around us. We drive a good ways on this winding dirt road, constantly going up slightly in elevation. Sage and Roman’s conversations becomes more and more excited as we near the Emerald Lakes, and I clutch my towel to my chest as I watch out the passenger window with Sage as he promises the sight of one of the smallest lakes on our right. Roman continually glances from the road to our window. Briefly, as we pass a break in the tree line beside the road, we catch a glimpse of the small pocket of a lake tucked into the surrounding hills. My breath catches at the swift glance.

“Holy shit,” I breathe, clutching Sage’s arm in excitement. They weren’t named the Emerald Lakes for no reason. The color of the water was very close to a jewel-tone of a deep green, like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It was freakin’ awesome.

After passing a few more tiny lakes, all beautifully green and tucked down between the hills that surround them, we reach a larger lake. Like the others, ridges of hills encompass the body of water on all sides, save a small flat field of trimmed grass nestled in one corner. I gape at the shimmering emerald water as we drive toward the end with the field. Roman parks the truck up on the side of the street, and we all scramble out excitedly to stand at the top of the ridge overlooking the steep bank of the lake.

“It’s so deep,” I breathe in awe, also noticing how dark the water is.

“Yeah. These are the lakes that were filled after the mines were abandoned, they’re really deep.” He nods toward a small shed resting against the steep bank on the edge of the small field beside the water. “We’ll keep our project supplies in there, and work on the boat down here.” I beam, loving the idea of working on the project here at this lake.

Sage leads us down a steep and narrow path that joins a set of wooden steps to the field, and both boys begin to kick their sandals off and swipe their shirts from their backs as we make our way to a wooden dock that rests beside the straight edge of the water. I follow suit, shaking out of my white shorts, tank top, and flip flops to stand barefoot in the white and crimson floral-printed bikini Kait and I had picked out for this summer. I peer down at the edge of the water as the boys lead the way to the dock. It looks like this field was man-made, cut flat from a steep bank and ridge that used to lead to the water’s edge, since the sandy bottom disappears in a steep drop into the dark depths of the lake.

The sun-heated dock bobs in the water as I pad down the walkway after the boys, who stand facing me on the edge, waiting for my opinion of it all.

“This place is spectacular,” I tell them, and their smiles widen at my joy.

“The water’s great, too,” Roman says, a devilish grin flashing across his face as he moves toward me, “Ladies first.” I give a squeal as he bolts for me before I have a chance to retreat, and gathers me up in his bare arms. I squirm and laugh and plead helplessly as Sage eggs Roman on while he brings me to the edge of the dock. He stops, looking down into the water, and I cling to his neck tightly as he grins.

“If I’m going in, I’m takin’ you with me!” I crow, my arms securely locked like a vice around his strong neck.

“Is that so?” he says in an incredulous voice, hands tightening around my legs and shoulders. To my horror, he uses one hand to hold me against him, and the other to tickle my unprotected sides, and my arms release his neck as I squeal in laughter. And like that, I’m flying through the air as the boys and the dock get farther from me, and the water rushing up to meet me. My scream is drowned out by the water as I hit it, the coolness a shock at first as all sound disappears, and I open my eyes to see my pink hair floating around my face, the sun shining beams of light from the shimmering surface. I swim up, and break the top of the water with a gasp.

“Roman!” I screech, pushing wet tresses of pink out of my face and rubbing water from my eyes.

“Isn’t the water great?” he beams, standing triumphantly with his hand on his hips at the edge of the dock. Sage is in stitches beside him. I splash them both, and Roman backs up on the dock. With a running leap, he soars in a dive through the air and over my head, and I twist in the water to watch him splash in the water beside me. Sage cannonballs into the water on my other side, hitting me with a good splash. When Roman surfaces, we begin a splash war.