The Last Ta Da! At the Lake

As Simone, sat contentedly, beside the roaring camp fire, she looked up at the stark naked trees, felt the cold on her back, and realized that fall was gone and winter was falling down all around her.  Yes, it was snowing, and this would be the last time she would sit with friends and family around the open fire, chatting, reminiscing, and enjoying one anther's company, at least in this way. 

Since she was trying to stay positive, and live in the moment, she did not ramble off into the future, but , watched as the dogs, chased one another up the steep bank and back down again into the den they had dug.  One of them would get to the entrance first and fight off the rest to maintain possession of it.  Then, they would all run off again until one would turn back toward the den.  Her little white dog Sadie, was covered in sand, but she was loving every moment, and seemed to be the one who maintained control most often.  It made Simone laugh, as she was, the smallest, and Simone was sure, the smartest.

Someone threw more wood on the campfire and it blazed hot and bright, and Simone felt the blast of heat and backed up her chair, then turned her back to the fire to warm herself.  Her sister's beautiful new fifth wheel, was right in full view and she began to coveted it.  "That's what I want" she whispered under her breath "I could live very comfortably in something like that, especially in a warm climate".  It was making her sad to think about being a have not, so she turned back toward the campfire.

Simone tucked her dream away deep inside her, and then someone poured her a cup of hot coffee, and she was back in the moment, enjoying the company, the heat, and that amazing cup of campfire coffee.  In that moment, all was well, she was content and happy, and one of the neighbors had stopped by to visit.

He was about her age, single(so she was told), quiet, and for some strange reason every time she looked up he was gazing at her.  Simone was flattered, but it also made her very nervous.  He was not handsome, nor the type she would normally be attracted to, but there was something about him.  Fear was slowly but surely rising within her, and she suddenly felt the urge to run.  Simone fought the urge, and began questioning her own thinking processes, she could not quite grasp what was going on inside her, then, she excused herself and went to bed.  It was only 9 pm, but she had to escape. 

Once alone with her thoughts, she realized how silly she had been, but what was it in her that had caused such a strong emotion of fear?  She was too exhausted from all the fresh air, the sudden emotional outburst, and she fell asleep quickly.

The next morning, she tumbled from bed, put on some warm clothes, and went outside to the warm herself by the fire since there was no heat in the fifth wheel all night.  It seemed the propane tank was empty.  Her hair was standing up on end, she smelled like smoke, and felt like doggie doo doo.  "Oh my God" she thought as she approached her sister and her husband who were up before the sun, drinking coffee, "Here he comes again!"  This time she pulled her hoody over her tousled hair and huddled by the fire.  She didn't look at him.  For some reason she was a bit angry, and wondered why he was invading her privacy.  She wished he would leave.  He didn't and ended up staying for breakfast. 

Before she left to go home that day, he asked her for her phone number and wondered if they could have coffee sometime?  This was not in her plan she thought, as she said "Yes, that would be nice" and as she wondered who had spoken those words, she was giving him her number. 

As she drove home she convinced herself, she was not going to answer the phone if he called.  After all, she wouldn't be going up to the lake again this year, as everyone had been busy closing things up for the winter, and this was the last ta da.  "Yes", she thought, "she could easily avoid him".