Chapter 1
A gentle summer breeze blew as the faded yellow bus cranked along the shaded street. The grinding squeal of the brakes. It drowned out the excited chatter of teenagers about being freed from jail, which was their education for summer break. The doors of the bus swung open at the end of Percheron Twins Street. They ran up their cracked driveway. The cracked hashing across the dappled sunlight peeked through the overstretched branches of the large trees overhead. They raced through the front door, waving at their parents as they rocketed up the stairs.
Cassie pulled on a red plaid sweater over her singlet, digging in her closet for her hiking boots. She could hear Jayden, her twin brother, digging into the back of his closet. A thud of something falling made Cassie giggle. Jayden had often left his room in a jumble. He muttered about finally finding whatever he was collecting for the hike. Their dad promised them on the first evening of the school holidays. The pair double-timed back downstairs, eager for the hike to start their summer break.
Cassie and Jayden hold it at the kitchen door. Their backs rest against either side of the doorway. Their mother fit perfectly in their father’s arms. Both parents’ eyes fixed on each other. As their breath came in unison, they swayed slowly around the kitchen and time with the wonderful soft jazz playing on the radio. They watched as their parents glided gracefully around in the waltz. Cassie grinned at Jayden, who clutched his throat, making a gagging motion as his fingers pointed down his throat. Pushing yourself off the door frame, Cassie pushed her elbow into Jayden’s ribs. He looked up through his long blonde lashes, and a small smile played on his lips. Both of them secretly adored how much their parents, high school sweethearts, displayed their love openly, and it seemed to be as strong as when they first met.
Cassie walked away from the kitchen towards the entryway, leaning on the staircase banister. She didn’t have to search old books. Her parents read to her as a child to hear stories of true love. She was seeing a modern-day fairy tale unfold in their house. Jayden nudged his sister before calling their father.
“Come on, Dad, you promised, and given that it’s still light. We might get a bit longer hiking and possibly down to the lake,” Jayden said, barely keeping the excitement from his voice from finally being on summer holidays. Cassie rolled her eyes at the impatience of her brother.
“Make sure that you guys take care. I hear that there have been a few reports of larger-than-normal tracks on the trail near the Water’s Edge. Please ensure your prompt return for dinner. I’ve put on some of your grandfather’s potato and pumpkin bake,” the mother said. Her eyes cast down on the off-white tiled floor in the kitchen. Their parents reluctantly let go of each other.
Both Jayden and his father lick their lips before wandering to the front door and grabbing the keys off the table. The three of them stood at the end of the driveway, deciding which end of the street they were going to use to get to their hiking trail for today.
“Cassie, did you want to go down and around the lake, or is that just your brother strong-arming his request in?” Her father asked, looking through his thick lashes at her. Cassie fiddled with the hem of her jumper. She tilted her head to the side, looking at Jayden, who was using his head to gesture towards the hiking path at the top of the hill. They often used to arc around the lake. With a devious grin on her lips, she locked eyes with her brother. She raised her index finger to her lips, tapping it thoughtfully. Shrugging, she started walking up to the top of the hill.
“I’ll race you to the trail marker,” Jayden said as he ran past Cassie. Their father was hot on Jayden’s heels. Lukas passed his son, disappearing between the large oak trunk. Those branches formed the arching canopy over the trail. Both leaving Cassie to walk up the hill. The gravel crunched under Cassie’s hiking boots. She watched Jayden bend over with his foot raised on a boulder to the right of the trailhead marker. Stopping him from hooking his fingers into the loops of his jeans. Their father laughed and reminded Cassie to tie her laces properly before they started. Cassie shook her head as she overtook her brother. He poked out his tongue as she bumped him with her hip.
“Yes, I thought you were the all-powerful knot-tying master,” she said. Once she reached her father and turned around, crossing her hands over her chest.
“Well, I wasn’t the one that was late, and I almost left us behind,” Jayden said, straightening up. He walked towards his dad and sister.
“Ok, so the two of you race up the hill and onto the hiking path. I’m the one that gets almost left behind because you decide to show off your boyish behaviour. I don’t know how Mum puts up with the three of us,” Cassie said, before turning around and continued along the path.
A smile tugged on the corner of her lips again. Her father wrapped his enormous arms around her shoulder. And pulled her into the space underneath his armpit, where she had felt safe since she was firstborn. She snuggled into the warmth of her father, placing her arm around his waist. Both laughed as Jayden tried to complete a moonwalk, the loose top layer of gravel further than Jayden thought. He fell onto his back, and a grunt of air escaped his lungs. A look of concern dressed across Cassie’s and their father’s faces. Before long, the three burst out laughing. This is how the family enjoyed spending summer breaks. The freedom of fresh air in their home was close to the lakes and mountain passes. As was the simplicity and joy that their family had for each other.
“What do you think Mum would do if we were late home, Dad?” Jayden asked, skipping backwards. Cassie’s eyebrows knit together, trying to understand what Jayden was saying. She looked towards the canopy of the tree. Dappled sunlight cast shadows on the trail. The sun had not started dipping below the hills to the south of the town. Meaning that there was still plenty of daylight for them to get around the lake. At a nice pace and get home in time for dinner, as their mother had asked.
“I’m pretty sure Mum would be upset. If we were late home for dinner. We left with plenty of time to do the length of hike you wanted. Without it being a complete cardio session,” their father said, looking at Jayden.
