My Son is Growing up, and My Husband is Growing Down

Chapter 2
The Mysterious Lake

A few hours later, we found ourselves hiking in a small forest near the edge of our town. Now, James, and I have hiked these woods since we were teenagers. As a matter of fact, that’s how we first met.

I looked up to the tree covered skies, lost in an old memory. I still can remember that day so clearly. I was walking along this very path, just minding my own business, when all of sudden, I found myself lying on the ground. I must have fallen into a small hole I didn’t see. I tried to get back to my feet, but I found my ankle hurt too much. I think I had twisted it when I fell.

After that, I tried to crawl to the clearing, where some of my friends were, but the pain in my ankle was too much and I gave up before even trying. I just lay there, crying into the dirt. I was an experienced camper and hiker and yet, I had tripped over a stupid hole. Suddenly, I felt strong hands lifting me from the ground. The first thing I noticed when I looked up at the face was his onyx eyes. They sparkled with a freedom that I never had seen before. I could get lost in them for hours. It was at that moment that I knew I wanted to marry this man. I wanted to marry James Jones.

I was brought out of my peaceful memory, when I felt my arm being pulled, rather painfully. I looked down at Johnny, noticing how his eyes darted in every direction. I could only smile at his childish curiosity. This was his first trip here, after all. He was trying to absorb every sight and sound at once. It was funny and cute at the same time.

I turned my eyes lovingly to my husband. Like my son, his eyes were darting, trying to see everything at once. But, unlike my son, he was watching out for anything dangerous that might come our way. We know from personal experience to never let your guard down, even if everything seems peaceful.

After another hour of hiking, we found ourselves in a small clearing that James and I knew all too well. There were a couple of rocks nestled around the clearing that made perfect seats. There was also plenty of clear, grassy fields that were ideal for sleeping spots. But this year, something was different. And it was that change, that sparked the changes in my family.

“Where did this come from?” My husband asked.

I was also surprised to find a small lake in the center of our camping spot. I knew it hadn’t been here last year. Last year, there was small dirt field, an ideal spot for a campfire. Where did this lake suddenly come from?

We got closer to it, trying to get a better look. The lake itself was very long; I’ll have to say about the size of a small, above ground swimming pool, but deeper. Not so deep that we couldn’t see the bottom of it. And boy could you see to the bottom! It was so clear, and it sparkled in such a way that it could put someone in a trance for hours.

“Where do you think this came from?” I asked my husband, without taking my eyes off of the entrancing wonder.

“Hmm,” James kneeled down to get a closer look. He studied the lake for a brief moment, thinking things over. He then looked me straight in the eyes. “Well, I think that earthquake we had in the early fall must have caused this place to sink in, and then a natural spring must have been unearthed when it happened.”

It was an educated guess, but I’ll have to say it was close, very close. I mean, I do remember that earthquake. Still, couldn’t help but feel like that sparkling lake would somehow change my life in ways I couldn’t begin to imagine. It just something I could feel in the back of my mind.

“Hey! Let me see!” Johnny asked eagerly.

He suddenly pushed forward, and in the process, bumped into his father. James tried to keep his balance, but in the position he was, it did little good. I watched, as in slow motion my husband tilted forward. He had a look of surprise frozen on his face. Then, with a splash, and a small explosion of water, my husband disappeared into the clear waters of the lake.

I peeked over the edge of the lake, waiting for my husband to resurface. I did think how strange it was, for James to have disappeared in the clear lake water. Still, I wasn’t going to worry about him. James was in good shape, and he was a good swimmer.

I saw some bubbles begin rising to the surface, and then I a shadow appeared beneath the surface of the lake. Like one of my husband’s old war movies, a face emerged from the waters. I couldn’t help the smile that appeared on my lips when I got a good look at his face.

“Daddy looks funny,” Johnny said, giggling heartedly.

I couldn’t help but join in on the laughter. My husband looked worse than a drowned rat, with his hair clinging to his scalp. As he pushed himself further out of the water, I noticed that his clothes clung to his body, giving it a defined looked.

I saw a sparkle of mischievousness appeared in those eyes I loved so much, and became slightly nervous. I backed away from the lake as he pulled himself up and onto the shore. I was just a bit afraid he was going to throw me into the lake. I was relieved when he just gave me a smile that said ?we will finish this later’. After that, he went to change out of his wet clothing. It was a good thing we both remembered one of the important rules of camping, and always had spare clothes on hand.

After that, we spent the rest of the day, setting up camp. While James pitched the tent, I was busy making us some dinner. I kept one eye on dinner, with the other eye on Johnny. He was sitting at the edge of the lake, throwing pebbles into the waters. I guess I should be lucky that one of my boys couldn’t swim yet, or I don’t think I would have kept my sanity.

I called my boys when dinner was ready. After filling our bellies, James spent the rest of the evening telling his old ghost stories, which I had heard a million times now. But, they scared poor Johnny so much I thought he would have peeled himself if I hadn’t intervened.

“All right, angel, I think that’s enough for tonight,” I told him gently and then took him by the hand.

I took him into the tent, and in a short time, I was able to finally calm him down enough so he could get to sleep. I kissed him on the forehead for some last minute reassurance, and then went to join my husband.

I must have gotten two steps out of the tent, when suddenly someone grabbed me from behind. I barely had time to gasp as I found myself being dragged to the edge of the lake. Before I knew what was really going on, I found myself being gently pushed to the ground by my husband.

I looked deeply into his eyes and saw that same spark of mischievousness from earlier, and I was slightly afraid. I opened my mouth to ask what he was planning, but before I could speak, he began kissing me passionately. I didn’t even resist, I gave in completely to my urges. I wrapped my arms around his head, and let my fingers roam through his hair, as I returned his kisses in full.

As my fingers ran through his hair, they came across something I mentally noted. There was a small pitch of thinning hair, along the center of James’s scalp. It wasn’t visible to the naked eye, someone would have feel around for it like I was doing. Another thing I put into a mental file was the small, almost invisible wrinkles I saw in the corner of his eyes. Still, I wasn’t really worried about these things at the time.

Here, in the glow of the full moon, which seems to have made the mysterious lake look even more breathtaking than before, my husband and I made out like were teenagers. If I had known what was in store for this family in that night, I would have probably gone all out.