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“Thank you, Paul. I’m glad to be here.”
Paul helped her with her bag, and she went with him to his office for the key to her cabin. While she was waiting, she looked at the enclosed bulletin board in the office. She couldn’t seem to find the picture of her helping the children near the dock. That’s strange it was here last year when I left. Paul handed her the key as well as a second key to the art lodge before he helped her to her cabin. When she got there she noticed that there was only one bed in the cabin.
“Am I in the single this year?” Usually, she shared a cabin with one of the other instructors.
“Yes, you are the lucky recipient of our one and only single cabin. Is that alright?” Ava was thrilled not to have to share a cabin with anyone because she always got some young bubble head that wanted to talk all night.
“Not a problem at all. Thank you.”
He left her to unpack her things and when she was finished, she went to the art lodge to check the supplies. The room was fully stocked with everything she would need to help the children with their art projects. She was about to turn out the light in the main room when her eye caught something.
There was a painting on the wall that looked fresh. She moved closer and saw that it was a lavender colored rose. Upon closer inspection, she found that the artist had weaved a date and their initials into the folds of the petals. She had to squint to catch them, but the both the date “June 4” and the artist’s initials “ARW” were entwined in the stem. She covered her mouth in shock. ARW was Xander’s initials, and June fourth was her birthday. Had he been here recently?
She practically ran to Paul’s office to ask. “Paul, can I ask you something?”
Paul looked up from the forms on his desk. “Sure, Ava, what do you need?”
“Was Xander Wilder here last week?” He looked at her puzzled.
“Who? We didn’t have anybody by that name here last week. We had an Alex Wilder, though, Why?”
“I was just curious.”
She walked away with no clear answers. She knew that Xander had indeed painted that rose, but why would he do that unless he knew that she was going to be here, too? She went back to her cabin wanting to talk to someone. Picking up her cell phone, she saw that it had no reception bars. Figures, they never have good reception up here. It was still early, but she was exhausted from the long drive, and she lay down on her bunk. Within minutes of her head hitting the pillow, she was asleep.
* * *
The next daywas busy as the counselors and instructors got the camp ready for the first busload of children to arrive. In two days, the camp would be bustling with activity as the first session got started. The camp had four sessions of two weeks apiece. They were able to accommodate two hundred children in each session.
Several deliveries had been made: food, toiletries, commissary items and other non-perishables. The entire staff was expected to pitch in and put away all these items. Ava was stocking bundles of toilet paper when she heard her name called. She turned to see Tim Bartlett, a computer programming teacher from the Bronx, call to her.
Two years ago she had poured her heart out to him about what had happened with Xander. Tim had also faced loss since his wife had passed away from cancer four years ago. So he was well aware of how loss felt, though her loss was completely different from his. His wife was gone, but Xander was alive, he just didn’t want her any longer.
“Hi, Tim! How are you?”
Though they had promised to get together during the cooler months, they never did. Tim had told her that he often came into Manhattan for shows and to spend time in the area. She was kind of glad that he hadn’t contacted her; she knew that he was attracted to her. Last year during a hike with some of the older children, he had kissed her. At first, she reacted to him, longing for contact with another man, but quickly regained her composure and pushed him away. She explained she was not ready to start dating again.
Today, they just chatted as he helped her stock the rest of the toilet paper. During dinner he sat next to her, a little too close for her taste. He had asked her to join him at the fire pit with some of the other counselors, but she declined, saying she was tired. He had looked sad, but she didn’t want to mislead him. He was a nice man, but not her type.
As the second day progressed, the finishing touches were put on the campgrounds. The children would be coming up the next day, and Ava was excited. To celebrate the beginning of the season, several of the counselors took row boats to the middle of the lake and later when it got dark; they decided to sit on the dock and look up at the stars or swim. Tim insisted that Ava get in the boat that he was rowing. She reluctantly did and hoped that he wouldn’t make any moves on her.
After rowing a bit, they docked the rowboat and dangled their feet in the cool water. Several other counselors were lying on the dock looking up at the sky. It was a cloudy night, and most of the stars were hidden. Someone dove in and was splashing water.
Several of the other counselors got involved, and in a matter of minutes, everyone was drenched. Ava jumped in the water and started to swim towards shore. She might not swim very often, but she was a strong swimmer. Her lean arms sliced through the dark lake as she followed the lights on the beach as her guide.
Tim rowed up behind her and helped her get into the boat. She started to shiver in the cool night air, and he rowed faster. When they got to the dock, she quickly climbed out. Tim rowed to the beach, and she met him to help pull the boat ashore. Several of the other counselors had done the same. Thunder could be heard in the distance, and Ava wanted to get back to her bunk before it started to pour. She was thankful for dim lights on the beach. Her clothing clung to her, and her nipples were hardened from the chill. The last thing she needed was Tim to see her like that. She didn’t want him to get any ideas.
Tim insisted he walk her to her cabin and just before they got there the heavens opened up. Her teeth were chattering when they got to the porch of her small cabin. Tim’s cabin was on the other side of the camp, and she didn’t want to be impolite by telling him to leave. So, she invited him in but kept up her guard. She went into the tiny bathroom in her cabin and got him a towel. The rain thrummed on the roof and flashes of lightning cut through the dark sky. She had no idea what to say to him, and he was the first to speak.
“So how was graduation?”
That was the best you could do? “It was nice. My family came to town from Georgia and stayed for the entire week, even my niece and nephew. How was your school year?” She wanted to seem polite, so she asked him questions in return as she rubbed her hair with the towel.
“It was great. We got funding for a new robotics club for this upcoming year. I’ll be co-instructor. The kids are really excited.”
She smiled at him and removed her soggy sneakers. She hadn’t worn socks, and Tim was staring at her manicured toes.
“You have such pretty feet.”
