Let This One Go

Thirty Eight;

We pulled up to the lake after about a twenty minute long drive, I got out and stretched my arms a bit looking up at the sky. It was clear as the ocean's blue water with little to no clouds, it was one of those beautiful sunny days where you could tell it was summer.

"It's over in the woods, at least that's where I last saw it." Harry points far off to the other side of the rocky somewhat beach.

I followed after him looking out at the water that was glistening underneath the sunlight, and the tall diving board sat still perched on the other end of the lake that was led there by the boardwalk.

I shuttered at how rusted and weary it shook just from a slight breeze, I remember the town putting up that diving board when we were all pretty young, but as we got older we used it less and less and then just stopped all at once. The last person on that diving board was eight years ago, and today it looks like if you took one step on it it'd give in.

"Look, right here." He smiles pulling me further into the wooden area and stood on the tip of his toes overlooking a branch of a pretty thin and small tree.

I began to hear small chirping, no shrieking from the branch Harry was overlooking.

"Oh wow." I smile standing next to Harry and look up at the branch where there was a small bird's nest with at least three or four featherless birds poking their heads out.

"I guess they finally hatched."

"How'd you know they were here?" I smile.

"I was just wondering around one day and saw the nest, they were eggs though when I wanted to show you. You seemed fond of the animals at the aquarium, though I still don't know why, so I thought these would interest you too."

"They do." I gaze at them, it's pretty rare to see baby birds in their nest. Even when you do live in Georgia.

"Let's hold one."

"No!" I grab his arm that was ready to reach into the nest. "If we touch a baby bird, their mother would neglect them because of our human scent."

"Why?" He asks with a dumbfounded look.

"I don't know, I guess that's just how birdies think."

"Birdies?"

"Shut up." I roll my eyes.

Wouldn't it be nice if humans were the same way as these birds? A mother bird says goodbye to their babies in either of two ways. One, they neglect them because of a stranger's scent. Two, they send them off by teaching them how to fly. My dad is obviously too scared or something to teach me how to stand on the edge and encourage me to jump and promise it will be okay, so what if he did find out about Harry's strange presence? Not neglect, but maybe if he just recoiled and stepped back a bit letting me go and just live my life would be nice.

"Let's go back to the beach." He says, I slowly follow his foot steps with one last look at the nest.

"Gosh, I forgot how beautiful this place looks in the summer." I smile walking to the edge of the water and looking out.

The last time and yet the first time Harry and I came here together it was an almost cloudy day with no sun and the water was a dark gray.

"It's quiet here." Harry mutters from behind me, I nod agreeing taking in my surroundings.

The only sound that could be heard was from the water moving back and forth and birds above in the sky, but between Harry and I stayed silent for a while.

"You hate your mum, don't you?" Harry brings up.

I sigh and sink down until my butt lands on the rocky surface and stretch my kegs out. "How can I not?"