Nick drove up the steep hill, past the high mountainous regions that set a gorgeous backdrop to the town's scenery. Veering the car down the sloping hill, Nick steadied it as the edge of the mountain was nervewreckingly close.
Lesley peered out the window while she sat in the passenger seat, enjoying the picturesque views.
"These views are so relaxing," Lesley remarked, gazing out the window and admiring the vivid blue sky. "I bet I could restart my photography business with these views!" She smiled as the grassy hills accentuated the mountains in the backdrop, enticing her with its allure.
"I know plenty of people from the city who would love to take pictures with this scenery as their backdrop!" Lesley exclaimed. She fell more in love with the small town of Arcaden as she admired the views. Her affection bordered on near obsession, and she was fine with that because, in her mind, who wouldn't be obsessed with living in a lake house in near seclusion, surrounded by nature?
Lesley knew, deep down, that Arcaden was the perfect town for her and Nick.
In the past, they considered having children, but neither of them felt ready. Although it remained a lingering thought, they hadn't given it much consideration as of late. And when the day did come, Lesley planned on homeschooling them. Although the nearest public school was forty minutes away, it didn't make a difference. Lesley and Nick agreed they preferred homeschooling over public schools.
Nick continued driving, listening to the smooth jazz music emanating from the speakersâmusic always mellowed him out, especially Jazz.
While Nick wasn't as enthused by the scenery as Lesley was, he found contentment in her happiness, which mattered most to him.
"Yeah, things are pretty nice up here." Nick agreed while nodding. Peeking over at the mountains and the landscape nearby, he thought it was a nice sight, but he wasn't as vocal about it as Lesley. Nick just wanted to get to the house already so they could meet Jackie, get their house keys, and start moving their things in.
Nick turned onto their new street, Gillian Place. He drove down the narrow road and turned a quick right, pulling up to their driveway. Jackie's white Range Rover was parked out front. She was waiting inside the house for them.
Lesley's heart stopped. "I can't believe this is our new home, Nick!" she gazed at the lakehouse with an overwhelming sense of gratitude. "It feels like a dream!"
"You better believe it!" Nick replied playfully, stealing a fleeting glance at Lesley. His heart jumped with happiness as he noticed the wide smile affixed to her face. It made Nick that much happier to witness his wife's profound love and joy for their new home. Given Lesley's childhood, Nick ensured that he would do his best to provide her with the life she deserved.
As Nick steered the car up the driveway, their lake house slowly came into view. Lesley was mesmerized by its beauty as it sat right above the lake. They had discovered it was built out of pure oakwood. The patio at the back of the house perched on stilts, its legs extending deep beneath the surface and into the waters below.
Lesley thought it was the perfect area for entertaining. She envisioned the many guests she would invite to immerse themselves in the scenery- the amazing views of the lake and the essence of the surrounding areas.
Nick parked his car in front of the three-car garage. After twisting his key and taking it out of the ignition, he turned to glance at Lesley in the passenger seat. Leaning over, he gave her a peck on the cheek. She turned and smiled at him.
"Nick, thank you." She reached over and placed her hand over his as it lay on his thigh, gazing into his eyes.
"Thanks for what?" Nick asked, confused.
"For agreeing to buy this property with me." She smiled widely. "I know you weren't as excited about it. But I was, so you went ahead with it anyway." Lesley's eyes bore into him with a loving appreciation that was emitted through the sparkle in her eyes.
Nick nodded. "We're in this together, Les," he replied, his lips curving into a wide smile.
They both stepped out of the car. The warm breeze of August air flowed against their faces. Lesley closed her eyes, breathing in the fresh mountain air. It rejuvenated her.
"It's so nice not to smell exhaust pipes and breathe smoggy air filled with chemicals," Lesley remarked as she ventured down the flower-planted walkway, with Nick following closely behind. He placed his hands in the pockets of his thin blue jacket while his eyes fixated on the neatly manicured lawn and the flowers that decorated the pathway.
"We're gonna have to find out who they used for their landscaping," Nick was in awe. "They've done a fantastic job maintaining the property!" He bent down, inspecting the flowers. "The flowers and plants look incredibly healthy."
Lesley stopped midway in her path and knelt down. She placed her hands, palm side down, on the concrete as she leaned over and sniffed the flowers. The scent was invigorating as it drifted into Lesley's nose. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, realizing how lucky she was.
"They smell so good, Nick!" From what Lesley could tell, the walkway was full of colorful flowers, Coral Bells, Iris Moss, Lavender, and Catmint. There were other flowers there, too, but Lesley was unfamiliar with those. She decided she'd have a gardener come in a few days a month and help her with not only maintaining them but identifying them as well.
The door of the lake house creaked open.
"Hey, you two!" A woman's voice called out.
Lesley jumped, startled by the distant voice. Nick stood back up and glanced toward the front door of their lake house. He saw Jackie standing in the doorway while holding the door open.
"Oh, hey, Jackie!" Nick waved.
"Gosh! You scared me. I totally forgot you were here." Lesley stood up, moving away from the flowery path as she strolled over to the front door with Nick beside her.
"How could you forget?" Jackie asked, confusion etched across her face. "How were you two going to get inside without the key?"
"I don't know." Lesley waved it off. "I guess it just slipped my mind."
Jackie opened up the door wider. They both stepped into their new home. Lesley felt a rush of excitement build up within as butterflies swarmed in her stomach. "I just love this house more and more every time I walk into it."
Jackie smiled. "That makes me happy to hear! I always want the best for my clients because buying a home is a major life milestone."
Jackie guided Lesley and Nick through their final walkthrough. As they entered the kitchen, Lesley was once again captivated by the white cabinets and the elegant gray and white backsplash.
"Oh my gosh! I love my new kitchen so much." Lesley said giddily.
Jackie's high heels clicked-clacked against the hardwood floors as they moved through the room. The stainless steel appliances and the pristine white back paneling made it the perfect kitchen for Lesley. She imagined her kitchen featured on the Food Network, so classic and inviting that it deserved its own spot on her favorite show.
Lesley halted her walk and ran her hands up and down the smooth wooden cabinets. She grabbed the silver pulls, opening up a few of the white cabinets. Peeking inside, she made sure the last of the food items left by the previous owners were goneâand they were.
She then swiped her pointer finger against the white quartz countertops, bringing it to her face for inspection. Finding no dust particles on her finger, she saw it as a good sign; it meant the house was clean.
"Five stars, so far!" Lesley announced. Nick grabbed a hold of her hand and squeezed it.
"I'm glad it's living up to your standards." Nick joked. Lesley let out a giggle.
Jackie then walked them into the living room. "The previous owners used this as the family room." She smiled.
Nick and Lesley both inspected the living space with Jackie's assistance.
"I'm curious if this is wallpaper or paint?" Nick asked, running his hand up and down a beige wall.
Jackie squinted her eyes, inspecting it as well, "I think it's just paint."
Lesley couldn't help but gaze out the glass sliding door and out at the lake. It was as if the lake was calling her name. As she ventured out back onto the patio, she noticed that something wasn't right. A sense of dread washed over her.
It appeared that someone was out there, but she couldn't determine what it was. Being that she was near-sighted, she squinted her eyes. Lesley knew she should be wearing her eyeglasses because not being able to see far off into the distance always frustrated her.
She stood on the patio, her hands clasped on the wooden railing while she squinted even harder for a better view.
There was a girl. A teenage girl. She was swimming. Lesley's tension dissipated, and she smiled, thinking it was one of the neighbor's teenage kids enjoying a nice summer swim out on the lake.
Lesley waved to her, "We're your new neighbors!" She called out.
The girl waved back with a wide-tooth smile. Her long black hair flowed down her back, dripping wet from the lake's water.
Suddenly, the girl's face weaved into a frown. Her eyes big and filled with fear, showing signs of distress. Lesley bent over the railing, concerned; she tried her hardest to see what was going on.
"Are you alright?!" Lesley called out to her, her upper body nearly hanging over the railing.
The girl began flailing her arms up and down, water splashing into the air and onto the girl's face.
"Help!" The girl shouted at Lesley.
Lesley noticed her face turning blue.
Lesley's heart jumped in her chest as she immediately placed both hands on her cheeks in disbelief. It sunk into Lesley's head; the girl's face was blue, which meant she was losing oxygen.
The girl was drowning!
Lesley's heart skipped a beat, and she took a deep breath.
"Nick!" Lesley called out frantically. "Nick!" She clutched the wooden railing, her hands trembling as she gazed out at the drowning girl in the lake. Desperation filled her; she felt helpless.
Nick heard Lesley's cry for help, propelling him out of the house as quickly as his feet could carry him. He sprinted across the patio to where Lesley stood, causing it to shake underneath their feet.
"Lesley, what is it?" Nick breathed heavily as he grabbed her by the waist. Furrowing his eyebrows, he turned her body to face him.
"Are you alright? What happened?"
"There's a girl out there!" She cried. "She's drowning!" Lesley choked on her words, causing her to hack and cough. Her muscles weakened, and slowly, she slid down to the ground, like a snake slithering down a pole, and landed on her backside.
Nick scanned the lake, desperately searching for the girl. He even contemplated jumping in, but he saw nothing. The water was so shallow and clear that he could see the fish swimming. There was nothing out there except for a few ducks waddling in and out of the lake.
Jackie peeked out of the gray curtains and out at the patio as she heard Lesley coughing.
"I'll get her some water!" Jackie shouted out to Nick. She then ran into the kitchen, frantically opening up the cabinet doors in search of a cup. She clumsily opened up the kitchen drawers, but there were no cups anywhere.
Jackie emptied her coffee mug, dumping the warm brown liquid into the sink. Twisting the faucet on, cold water rushed out of the nozzle. She placed her mug beneath it, filling it quickly. Rushing back to the patio, she extended the mug toward Nick.
"Nick, here's some water!" Jackie shouted, holding the mug out to him.
He reached for it, and she hurriedly handed it over.
Nick placed the mug to Lesley's lips as he held her in his arms. She started sipping until she felt relieved.
The sun moved along the sky, shining down on the three of them as they stood on the patio.
Jackie used her hand to block the sun rays from out of her eyes, "Is everything ok, Lesley?" Jackie asked curiously. "What did you see in the lake?"
Lesley cradled her head in her hands. "There was a girl out there. She appeared to be drowning." Tears escaped her eyes.
Confusion etched across Jackie's face. "Well, Lesley, I don't think that's possible." Jackie began as her eyes gazed into Nick while she shook her head. "The lake is crystal clear, and it's too shallow for someone to drown in it."
All three of them gazed out at the lake. The waters flowed effortlessly, just as they always had.
"You don't have any neighbors for miles. Also, if someone were out in that lake, they could get into big trouble because this is private property, you know?" Jackie explained.
Lesley held onto Nick's arm as he held her. "I know what I saw, Nick."