“This,” I whispered to no one in particular, “is exactly what I needed.”
I stayed like that for a while, letting the silence wrap around me like a blanket. Every once in a while, a gust of wind would rustle the trees, or a branch would creak under snow. But otherwise, nothing. No honking. No restaurant orders. No drama. No questions about boyfriends or why I still lived at home or if I’d ever make something of myself.
Just me, Mew, and the trees.
Three hours in, the trail dipped toward the edge of the lake. The frozen surface sparkled like it was sprinkled with diamond dust, and the reflection of the trees shimmered faintly beneath the surface. I walked close to the edge but kept my distance—because as much as I wanted to do a dramatic lake photo for i********:, I didn’t want to end up
