The Inheritance (7.5)

A gentle breeze swept through the park playfully setting the leaves on the oak trees to dance, twinkling in the morning sunlight as the two women made their way toward the boat landing.  Lilly felt the soft touches of air on her face, ruffling a strand of hair hanging free of her ponytail along the side of her cheek.  The beginning of a warning formed in back of her mind, flickering in and out of awareness with the wayward traces of wind winding through the trees.  She looked back over her shoulder at her oldest sitting at one of the picnic tables keeping an eye on her siblings and cousins before turning back to watch where they were going. 

Her sister walked a step in front of her, her head high as if she were a queen out for a stroll among her subjects.  Lilly frowned.  She didn’t remember her sister being so confident, so sure of herself.  Granted ten years apart and anything could be different about the family she left behind, and yet, this morning her sister seemed even more unlike she remembered her being when they were last together than she had last night.  In a way she felt she was watching a video of herself strolling in this very same park as a teenager more than forty years ago. 

Overhead a lone white cloud moved between the earth and the sun sending a shadow sweeping across the park, cooling the air for a brief moment before moving on and the warmth of sunlight bathed the park again.  They arrived at the landing just as Tom was parking the Yukon and now empty trailer.  By the beach Lily could see Brad standing with a rope in his hand tethering him to the floating craft now resting in its element.

To Be Continued...