That Obscure Moment

{4} Precarious

3 years later

"Nicole, can I ask you something weird?"

Tilting my head, my brows furrow at the slightest. "Of course, Laura. When have you ever had to worry about telling me something?"

She smiled anxiously. "I know, I know, it's just – there's something that's been on my mind and I can't seem to shake it."

"I'm listening."

Laura exhaled slowly. "Well, you tell me. What is today's date?"

My eyes rolled up as I mentally checked my inner calendar. It was easy to lose track of the days in the summer. "Why do you ask? It's July – oh..." I trailed off as it hit me. My face seemed to turn to stone as I looked at Laura gravely.

"It's the anniversary." I said quietly, feeling completely disgraced for forgetting. I had tried not to think about that night, and seemed to repress the memory.

"Isn't it weird that it happened three whole years ago yet I remember it perfectly?" Laura avoided my eyes as if she were afraid of my answer.

"I know what you mean. I don't think we'll ever really forget what happened." I say gently, treading on light ice since this was a sensitive topic for the both of us.

"You're right. It's practically been ingrained into my brain," Laura joked nervously. I chuckle softly, having the speech knocked out of me by the subject and not sure how to respond.

"But like, you know which part I'm thinking about in particular right now?" Laura said as she stared off into the distance.

"Enlighten me," came my response.

"Well, do you remember when we were – "

3 years ago

We were pulling into Hawk Lake before we even knew it. The average travel time between New York and Hawk Lake was three hours, give or take, but we were both so giddy that time seemed to fly. Laura's mother parked the car swiftly and ushered us out so we could help her with her bags.

I had practically flown up the stairs to the porch and into the gazebo, which was where Laura and I would be staying. Laura's summer house was more like an enormous, two-bedroom trailer built on an elongated porch with a gazebo standing in the back. The gazebo was like its own room built outside of the house. Laura had staked her claim on it since it had the most privacy and space for her clothes, makeup, etc.

"Laura? Marina? Is that you?" Laura's grandmother Dina called from the kitchen. Marina, Laura's mother, heftily shuffled up the steps and called back, "yes."

"What?!" Dina yelled.

"DA!," Laura and Marina bellowed at the same time. I laugh to myself, having missed this unique family's antics. They were nothing like my own silent, often empty house. Au contraire, not a second could go by without someone yelling in Laura's household. Loving yelling, of course. But yelling regardless.

"Ah, ok." Dina said calmly and continued whisking away at whatever she was occupied with in the kitchen.

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, enjoying the feeling of the warm, fresh air that didn't stink of New York pollution. It smelled of grass and sea salt, which made sense since there were a few lakes nearby amidst the forest. Setting my bags down on the ground, I collapse onto the couch which was automatically designated as mine. It became a tradition, for this couch to be mine during my stay. I couldn't remember the last time I felt so comfortable.

Laura staggered inside, looking ragged and worn out and dropped to her own bed, her bags falling onto the floor. She looked pretty funny so I started laughing.