The car
doors opened and both families climbed out into the warm summer morning,
leaving Lisa’s husband Tom sitting behind the wheel with the motor running. While the two sister’s scouted out a place to
make their own for the day Tom would make his way down to the landing and get
the boat launched.
“Want a
hand with the boat?” Brad asked stepping
up to the driver’s side of the Yukon.
“Sure. Hop in.
Lisa? Do you want to haul
anything with?”
“I think
we will find a spot and then meet you down by the landing. It looks like it will be easier to haul
everything from there instead of this hill.”
“Meet you
down there, then.” Tom said, putting the
vehicle into drive and easing it forward.
Overhead a
few white clouds offered sporadic shade as they sailed by. The weather forecast was for the high to be
in the mid seventies with a 10 percent chance of scattered showers in the
afternoon. Lisa felt confident the day
was going to be about as perfect a day for a picnic as you could get. It was important nothing got in the way of
her plans. Plans she had been developing
for a number of years, plans she had tweaked and massaged with letters and
phone calls to both her siblings, encouraging and soothing until her sister
decided to come back for a visit. Plans
she had carefully kept hidden from everyone around her, maintaining the image
of passivity and mildness others took for the real Lisa.
“Let’s
go.” Lilly said indicating the top of
the stairs leading down the tree-shaded hill to the beach. She had her beach tote slung over her
shoulder and each of three children had backpacks or totes in hand. They grew up where going to the beach was a
common, if not daily, event and were well versed in navigating from the parked
car to the shoreline with their belongings in hand.
“Ready
when you are.” Lisa said as she hiked her
bag over her shoulder, nodded with a smile at her sister and headed off toward
the stairs.
The group
moved forward with Lisa leading the way and Lily’s oldest daughter bringing up
the rear, trailing behind the four younger children and the two adults.
To Be
Continued…
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