Dear Reese,
We walk down the cottage path to the water in the late afternoon. The sun on the surface is so bright it makes us squint, but it feels good. We sit on the rocks for a minute and try to figure out what bird is flying out over the lake.
When I lived in Austin, I used to close my eyes and imagine I was in this exact spot. Everything in my body registers it as home. The smell of the lake, the cool air off the water, and even the little black spiders that crawl under and over the smooth rocks. I don’t care for spiders, but they have crawled across these stones my whole life.
When we walk back up to the cottage, I set you down and help you walk over the little arched wooden bridge that connects the path from the road. In a few months, you’ll be able to do that on your own.
Love,
Mama