“I only got lost once.”
Sophie glanced at him in the mirror.
“Once was enough, Dad.”
He sighed dramatically.
“Both of you have become terribly bossy.”
“That’s because we love you,” I answered.
He leaned forward and kissed my cheek.
“I know.”
—
The Lakeview Inn looked almost exactly as I remembered it.
The old white building.
The wraparound porch.
The rocking chairs.
The lake stretching beyond the windows.
When Mark gave his name at reception, the young woman behind the desk smiled warmly.
“Mr. Ellison. We’ve been expecting you.”
She handed him a key.
“Room 12 is ready.”
He looked down at it.
“Room 12,” he repeated quietly.
We walked upstairs together.
When he opened the door, I nearly cried.
The wallpaper had changed.
The television was newer.
But the old brass bed remained.
And the large window still overlooked the lake.
I walked toward it.
Mark came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.
