The Summer I Learned to Breathe

seventeen

☼ seventeen ☼

In Michigan, it's frequent to wake up to ideal sunny days, and today is one of those days.

I wake up to a clear blue sky and pleasant mid-seventy degree temperatures that are extremely favorable for a day of boating on the water. I open my eyes, and I glance right at the calm water as I'm lying on my side facing the window. I stretch out my arms, blink my eyes, and yawn multiple times before I gain the energy to roll out of bed.

I don't start to feel completely awake until I wander into the kitchen, looking like a disoriented zombie I'm sure, and brew myself a cup of steaming coffee.

Thank the Lord for Keurig machines.

I settle down on a chair surrounding the table set up on our deck. It's partly in the shade in the morning, and it's a comfortable temperature. I stare at the light waves on the lake coming from a tiny, motor-powered fishing boat, and I can't keep my eyes off of my marbled red kayak resting on the thin strip of sandy shore next to our dock.

I wait patiently for Gabe to wake up, and in the hour it takes for him to rise, I manage to finish a second cup of coffee, a chocolate donut, a bagel with cream cheese, and a banana. I'm staring at two birds resting on a tree branch that extends close to the deck when the squeak of the door opening startles me. I whip my head around, and my eyes land on Gabe. His dark hair isn't disheveled as I had expected, and he doesn't look half-asleep either. He's dressed in swimming trunks and an old shirt advertising his high school baseball team, and his sunglasses are resting on his head.

His blue eyes meet mine, and his lips turn up into a friendly smile. "You wanna head out?" he asks.

"Yeah," I say. "Just let me get changed."

Gabe prepares our kayaks while I spend five minutes to change out of my pajamas and into a bikini, shorts, and tank top. I also take a moment to french braid my messy hair. I grab my waterproof case for my phone, my cheap pair of sunglasses from Target, and a water bottle. I rush back outside in excitement to get on the water, and I meet up with Gabe on the sand.

Our kayaks are resting at the edge of the water, and Gabe is sitting in his kayak, ready to push off and into the water. I walk on the warm sand to my boat, and I reach for my lifejacket that's on my seat from the last time I used it. I slide my arms into the holes, and I zip it up. I secure the clip at the bottom, and I climb into my kayak. My feet drag some grains of sand into the boat, and I instantly miss the feeling of the sand between my toes.

I look up to find Gabe already at the end of the dock and paddling in the direction opposite Sam's house. I push my boat the rest of the way into the water, and I start paddling lightly to catch up. I pass the end of the dock, and then I turn and glide alongside the shore.

Our dad owns about a quarter acre of land. One side of the property borders Sam's, and the other side expands into a thicker cover of trees and bushes. There's a short trail that leads to another section of short beach, and it's several hundred yards down from our section of sand with the dock. There are a lot of trees and rocks alongside the lake between the two sections of beach, so Gabe and I keep a fair distance from it so we don't hit anything with the blades of our paddles as they slice the surface.

We pass the far edge of our property line, and we continue past the final property before the lake makes a turn to head back around the other way. We follow the perimeter, slowly paddling here and there and taking breaks to just sit and stare at the view. My eyes glide along the water, admiring the reflection of the trees. The sun is glistening and gleaming on the surface in a ton of white dots that seem to bounce and dance in place.

The lake is an all-sports lake, so motor-powered boats are allowed to be out on the water as well. However, there aren't many this morning because it's a weekday, and as a result the water is extremely calm. There's a small fishing boat at the opposite edge of the lake, and there's a few kids bouncing on a water trampoline at the house across from our dock.