Page 44 of Back to Square One

“Another memory recovered,” Stevie said, and smacked her hand against the steering wheel. “Whoop!”

Sara clapped her hands and Justine leaned into her, shoulder to shoulder. Evie put a hand on her leg and squeezed.

“Little by little, baby,” Stevie said. “That’s what the doctor said, right? They’d come back little by little.”

“That’s right. He did.” That stress she’d felt pressing down on her earlier seemed to ease up the slightest bit, and she sat there grinning, feeling lighter and happier, all because she’d remembered a stupid paddleboard.

“I think we were meant to go paddleboarding today,” Sara said. “Just for this reason.”

“Maybe.” Stevie reached out for her wife’s hand and entwined their fingers. Rowan gazed at their linked hands resting on the center console and felt a little squeeze in her chest. Joy for them, envy for herself.

In a short time, they arrived at a marina on the opposite side of the lake, and Stevie parked the SUV.

“I’ll go get us checked in.” She hurried off after it was agreed she’d pay and they’d all Venmo her money. She came back out with a young guy who looked like he was straight out of central casting: shaggy, sun-bleached hair, bronzed skin, bright orange swim trunks, flip-flops, and a friendly smile. He was definitely going to be a Bodhi or a Keanu or a Slater, she was sure of it. “Guys, this is Henry. He’s gonna give us a quick lesson.”

“Henry was not on my bingo card,” she murmured, and she followed him and Stevie as he led them to a rack of paddleboards, paddles, and life vests. They each donned a vest—Rowan’s was lime green. Evie’s was red.

“Okay,” Henry said, raising his voice a bit so they all paid attention. They each had a board and a paddle. “You’re going to adjust the length of your paddle.” He showed them how to adjust the length to be just a bit taller than they were. “Then you need to attach your leash to your ankle so you don’t lose your board when you fall off.”

“When?” Evie said quietly. “Well, that’s not very encouraging.”

Rowan gave a soft laugh.

Henry picked up his board and carried it into the water until he was about knee-deep. “Okay, get on your board on your knees. We’re not standing up yet. It’s too shallow. Falling here will hurt.”

They did as instructed, everybody on their knees on their boards, and they began to paddle out into deeper water, following Henry who, unsurprisingly, was a million times faster than any of them. Except maybe Stevie. She was right behind him.

“Stevie, you have to show off already? You can’t even wait until we’re out farther?” Sara said it with a grin, teasing her wife.

“Keep up, bitches,” was Stevie’s reply.

They paddled on their knees until they were in deeper water, and Henry taught them how to stand up on their boards. “One foot at a time, then…up,” he said, and there was a splash and then another and a third as Sara, Justine, and Evie all ended up in the lake.

Rowan stood, paddle in hand, watching the three of them laughing.

“If you’re struggling to get back on, take your board back to shallower water and get on there.”

Evie got back on hers and sat while Justine and Sara swam back the way they’d come.

“How’s the water?” Rowan asked with a grin.

“Wet.” Evie squinted against the sun as she looked up at Rowan. “But not bad.”

“Well, Stevie’s leaving us in the dust.” Rowan’s eyes followed Stevie as she paddled farther out. Even Henry seemed impressed.

“She’s good at every athletic thing she tries,” Evie said to him. “We all hate her.”

“True story,” said Sara, who had rejoined them, still on her knees. Justine glided up behind her.

They told Henry they were fine, that they weren’t there to become pros, just to have a fun few hours, and he left them with a grin and a “good luck, then!” They spent the next hour on their boards. Rowan mostly just floated and enjoyed the feel of the water under her board, using her paddle to move her along every so often. Evie kept close to her most of the time, falling twice more until she decided to simply sit on her board.

“Your hand hurt?” Rowan asked, sitting down on her own board as she noticed Evie clenching and unclenching her right hand.

“It’s a little achy.”

“You’re probably holding your paddle too tight.”

“Probably.”