Page 10 of Wanting Happily Ever After

By Monday afternoon,the weather still hadn’t cooled. If anything, it was only getting hotter. Sarah couldn’t remember the last time they’d had such a hot July. As she left Doctor Friesen’s office, where she worked full-time as a nurse, the heat hit her like a wall. It was bearable while she was in the air conditioning, but being outside was a different story altogether. She was going to have to find a way to cool off. Ten minutes later, as she arrived on her sister-in-law’s porch to pick up Rory, she was pretty sure she was going to melt completely.

“It’s so insanely hot,” she said when Nicole joined her on the porch. “This is unbearable.”

“I agree.” Nicole wore jean cut-offs and a tank top. Her thick blonde hair was piled up onto the top of her head, and with a glass of iced tea in her hand, she looked as if she weren’t having any trouble at all staying cool. She offered Sarah the glass, which she took and drank readily.

“I was just telling Rory that we should all go to the lake this weekend to—”

“The lake?” Sarah almost spat out the iced tea as she choked on the word. “The lake?”

Nicole gave her a look that made it clear she was worried about Sarah’s sanity. “Yes, the lake. Where else can we go to cool off?”

“You mentioned it to Rory?”

“Yup.” Nicole nodded slowly. “Because it’s like a million degrees out.”

Sarah shook her head and turned away.No. She did not mention the lake to Rory. No.

“Sarah? Are you okay? What the—”

“No.” Sarah spun around. “I amnotokay. The lake, Nicole?The lake?”

Nicole glanced behind her into the house before stepping all the way out onto the porch. She shut the door behind her and gestured for Sarah to sit on the step. “I’m going to ask you something,” she said, slowly and softly. “Even though I think I already know the answer.”

Sarah nodded.

“Have you ever been back to the lake?”

She didn’t bother answering; they both knew the answer. How could she go back to the lake that Josh drowned in? How could she ever sit on the beach and look at the once-innocent waves gently lapping at the shore and relive what had gone down that day?

She couldn’t.

“Sarah, it’s just a lake. It’s okay.”

She sat heavily on the step next to Nicole. “You’ve been back?”

She hesitated for a moment, but then Nicole nodded. “A few years ago,” she said softly. “I’m not going to lie. It wasn’t easy at first, but then I had to remember…what happened was a terrible accident, Sarah. And Josh loved the lake. He loved to swim. He wouldn’t want me to stop going there. And I know he wouldn’t want you and Rory to stop going there either.”

He loved to swim.

Nicole’s words reverberated in Sarah’s head. Josh had loved to swim. And he was a strong swimmer, too. Which was why it had been such a shock when he’d drowned. The official report had been that he’d swum too far out and probably got tired or a cramp and couldn’t make it back. But Sarah couldn’t help but question it, and she knew Nicole would too if she knew the truth about that day and what had sent Josh into the lake for a swim in the first place. Which was why she could never tell her sister-in-law the truth. She’d never tell anyone. It was also why she’d let everyone believe the mistaken report that he’d been trying to save a child from drowning. It was wrong, yes.

But Josh was gone. The truth wouldn’t bring him back and ultimately, it was less painful for everyone—except her—to assume it had been a terrible accident and not intentional. Especially because there was no way to know for sure.

“I don’t know if I can do it,” Sarah said slowly. “I don’t know if I can take Rory there. Not after…”

Nicole put her hand on her leg. “You can. And you should.”

Nicole smiled so kindly that something inside Sarah gave way.Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe going back to the lake would be okay.

“In fact,” Nicole continued. “We should all go. Maybe get a big group together and make a day of it. That way, it might be less intense for you.”

Sarah nodded and to her surprise, she liked that idea. Besides, Rory would like it. It could be fun. “Okay,” she heard herself say.

“Really?”

Sarah nodded again before she could change her mind. A smile crossed her face. “Yes. Let’s do it.”

Nicole jumped up. “Awesome! It will be fun. I’ll ask Amy if she wants to come and you bring Brody.”

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