Chapter 36

After finishing our light breakfast, Monique and I headed out for a drive, the windows down to let the warm summer air fill the car. The scent of blooming flowers and freshly cut grass wafted in, mingling with the distant sound of birds chirping.

Monique drove, her fingers drumming lightly on the steering wheel as she hummed along to a song playing on the radio. She glanced at me with a smile. “You’re quiet. What are you thinking about?”

I sighed, stretching my arm as I leaned back in the seat. “About how nice this is ... being with you like this. It feels normal, easy.”

She reached over, lacing her fingers through mine. “I feel the same way.”

The drive to the lake didn’t take long. We pulled into a small gravel parking lot near a scenic walking trail that curved around the water’s edge. Monique helped me out of the car, though I insisted I could manage on my own.

“I know you can, but humor me,” she teased, slipping her arm through mine as we made our way toward the trail.

The lake shimmered under the bright sun, the water reflecting the sky in ripples of blue and silver. A few couples strolled along the path, some walking hand in hand, others with picnic baskets spread out on the grass. Families were scattered across the area, children laughing as they skipped rocks or splashed at the water’s edge.