Page 11 of The Road Ahead
I smiled at the couple. “What are you trying to find?”
“The lovers’ rock mound,” she replied. “We’re staying at a friend’s cabin and they told us all about it. It sounded so romantic that we simplyknewwe had to see it.”
“I still don’t understand how dying tragically isromantic?” Timothy muttered, obviously continuing an argument they’d been having previously.
“Because,dear,” Dahlia said dangerously. “They preferred to die together than to live apart, away from their true love.”
“They knew each other for a handful of hours!” Timothy protested, gesturing wildly. “How can that be true love?”
“Because they recognized their soulmate and justknew.”
“It all just seems rather frivolous.”
“You don’t have a romantic bone in your entire body, do you?” Dahlia snapped.
Timothy opened his mouth to reply, and I quickly interjected before they could get into a shouting match in front of us. “You just missed it! The mound is back the way you came. About a quarter of a mile. It’s not on the track itself, but near the shore. There’s a small path that leads to it.”
“Oh. Well, thank you for that, dear,” Dahlia said. “Come on, Timothy. It’ll do your shriveled heart good to see a monument to forbidden love. You never know, maybe you’ll even learn a thing or two about romance.”
We watched as they walked away, bickering together, until they rounded a bend. I looked over at Rio and we both cracked up laughing.
“What the hell was that about?” Rio asked when we’d caught our breaths.
“The mound they were trying to find, or the state of their relationship?” I asked.
Rio snorted. “While I’m curious about both, I feel like you’ll only have the answer to the former.”
“True. I’m sure you’ve seen the rocks before, though. It’s almost as tall as you are.”
Rio chewed on their lip as they thought, then said, “Oh! You mean the cairn thingy we used to play around when we were kids?”
“Yeah.”
“I mean, I know what you’re talking about now, but I still don’t know what the lore is behind it. I thought it was just a pile of rocks that people had built over the years.”
We started walking back towards our cabin as we talked. “As Dahlia said, it’s a monument to forbidden love. The story goes that a Cheyenne pathfinder was on a scouting mission and stopped by the lake to drink. At the same time, a young missionary woman—the daughter of a preacher—was also collecting water. It was love at first sight and they spent a magical afternoon making love under the sun and swimming in the lake. But then the Cheyenne tribe and the missionaries came looking for the lovebirds.”
“Oh dear,” Rio murmured. “I can see where this is going.”
I grimaced. “Yep. Neither was happy about the blossoming romance, and when they refused to leave one another they were chased into the lake. They knew their love was doomed, and they would never be allowed to be together. So the pathfinder and his love grabbed as many rocks as they could from the lake bottom as they waded deeper and deeper into the water. They kissed one last time and allowed the weight of the rocks to carry them under the surface.”
“Choosing to die rather than be separated,” Rio said softly, then rubbed at their arms. “Gosh, I have goosebumps.That’s so sad.”
“It is,” I agreed. “Over time, those who’ve found themselves in unconventional and forbidden relationships have added their own rocks to the mound and it’s grown and grown.”
“I wonder what kind of forbidden relationships exist in this part?” Rio mused. “Is it just people whose families don’t accept their partners? Or people who are actually breaking the law?”
“I dunno,” I said, my mouth suddenly feeling dry. I tried to sound nonchalant as I said, “I know there’s a couple nearby who are cousins. I heard a rumor that they added a rock.”
There was a long pause, and then Rio said, in an equally nonchalant voice, “Oh. Well, good for them. I mean, it’s not like it’s illegal for them to be together here, only to get married.”
I nodded. “Yeah, exactly.” I was secretly wonderingwhyRio knew it wasn’t illegal in Minnesota to be in a relationship with your first cousin. Had they looked it up for the same reason thatIhad?
Who was I kidding? Of course they hadn’t. Rio was just smart and knew a heap of random facts. They’d probably picked it up at a random trivia night or something. It didn’t do me any good getting my hopes up that they shared my feelings. That way madness lies.
“Come on,” I said, nudging Rio with my elbow. “We’ve caught our breaths. Let’s finish this run.”
I was dressed and ready to go well before anyone else since I’d claimed the first shower. I wasn’t complaining, however, as it gave me the opportunity to recline against the headboard of the bed and watch as Rio got ready. They were already dressed in ripped skinny jeans and a black mesh top, and were now perched on the stool in front of the dresser, doing their makeup.
