Page 96 of Vacation with the Ice Queen

"Show-off," Serena muttered as she eased herself more cautiously into the water.

"Says the woman who arranged private access to a secret waterfall," Lila countered, floating on her back to gaze up at the canopy above. "I think you've got me beat in the grand gesture department."

Serena swam closer, water droplets clinging to her eyelashes and the silver streaks in her hair darkened to gunmetal. "Is it working?"

"Is what working?"

"My diabolical plan to make our remaining time memorable enough that you won't forget me the minute I board that plane."

Though delivered lightly, the question held a vulnerability that caught Lila off guard. She righted herself in the water, finding her footing on the smooth stones of the pool bottom so she could face Serena directly.

"As if I could ever forget you," she said softly.

Serena's eyes softened at Lila's words, the water around them catching ripples of sunlight as they stood facing each other in the hidden pool.

"Come here." Serena opened her arms.

Lila moved into the embrace without hesitation, the cool water swirling between their warm bodies as they held each other beneath the cascading waterfall. Serena's lips found hers in a kiss that tasted of mineral-rich water and unspoken promises.

They swam for the better part of an hour, sometimes playful—Serena showing surprising skill at underwater handstands that made Lila laugh until her sides hurt—and sometimes quiet, floating on their backs side by side, fingers interlaced as they watched sunlight filter through the forest canopy above.

"Hungry?" Serena asked eventually, nodding toward her backpack on the rocks.

"Starving," Lila admitted.

They climbed out, water streaming from their bodies as they settled on sun-warmed stones. Serena unzipped her pack, revealing a small feast: fresh tropical fruits, artisan bread, local cheese, and a container of something that smelled divine.

"The resort chef's special ceviche," Serena explained, arranging their impromptu picnic on a flat boulder. "Apparently, it's won awards."

"You really did think of everything." Lila wrapped herself in the light beach towel Serena handed her, touched by the thoughtfulness behind each detail.

"I'm learning from the best." Serena popped a piece of mango into her mouth. "You've been teaching me to pay attention to small things since I arrived on this island."

"Me?" Lila asked, genuinely surprised.

"The way you notice everything, like how the light changes throughout the day, which flowers bloom in morning versus evening, and the different bird calls." Serena handed her a slice of perfectly ripe papaya. "You see the world in high definition while most of us are watching the low-res version."

The observation surprised Lila. Few people had ever recognized that quality in her. Sophie had actually mocked it, calling her "distractible" when she paused to watch butterflies or admire cloud formations.

"It's just how I'm wired," she said, accepting the fruit. "Being present is natural for me."

"It's a gift," Serena replied seriously. "One I'm only beginning to understand."

They ate in comfortable silence for a while, the waterfall providing a gentle acoustic backdrop to their meal. Lila studied Serena's profile against the lush greenery, memorizing the elegant line of her jaw, the subtle arch of her eyebrows, the way droplets of water still clung to her hair.

"What are you thinking?" Serena asked, catching her gaze.

"That I'm capturing mental photographs," Lila admitted. "Moments I want to remember exactly as they are."

Instead of retreating from the emotional honesty as she might have days earlier, Serena simply nodded. "I'm doing the same."

She reached into her pack again, producing a small flat package wrapped in simple cotton cloth. "I have something for you. It's not... well, just open it."

Lila unwrapped the cloth to find a journal bound in buttery-soft leather dyed the exact turquoise of the lagoon they'd visited together. Embossed on the cover was a small spiral design that mimicked the shell she'd once shown Serena—broken, then healed stronger at the fracture.

"Open it," Serena prompted softly.

Inside, the cream-colored pages were blank except for a single inscription on the first page in Serena's precise handwriting:

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