the snow melts (6)

The creek at the edge of the property is swollen, its icy surface giving way to a steady flow of dark, churning water. Olivia finds herself drawn to it, the way she always is, and she stands on the bank, watching as the current carries away bits of ice and debris.

The creek has been there for as long as she can remember, a constant presence in a world that often feels anything but. As a child, she’d spent hours here, building dams out of rocks and sticks, her hands numb from the cold water but her heart full of purpose.

Even now, as an adult, there’s something comforting about its unchanging rhythm, its steady push forward. She’s so lost in thought that she doesn’t hear Noah approach until he’s standing beside her.