“I have been allowed to show you something.” His companion waved her arm and mists began to clear.
Jason watched as images formed and became clearer as the fog receded. A tree to the left, the fringed edge of a blanket, a cooler off to the side. The fog pulled back further. There was a girl, a young woman, sitting on the blanket. Dark brown hair fell to her waist. When sunlight broke through the leaves of the tree and caught her hair, natural red highlights would flash.
She wore shorts and a tank top. Her legs were loosely crossed and she was barefoot. Her sneakers were aside the blanket within her easy reach. Soda cans sat atop the cooler, empty ones were tossed haphazardly around it. In her lap sat a black acoustic guitar. Her fingers nimbly worked the strings. The tune tickled Jason's memory.
“That's one of your songs.”
“Yes. One I never finished. She's been working on it.”
Moving closer, Jason stepped around the blanket. He squatted down in front of the girl. She looked up from the guitar and smiled. “Hi,” Jason said. Her eyes were a bright green.
“They can neither see us nor hear us.”
“They...?” Jason turned and saw a young man. He bent over and sorted through stones on the lake's shore. He picked up a few and dropped them into his right hand. He chose one and sent it skipping over water. Jason noted he was left-handed.
“Did you see that? Fifteen skips!”
“That was a good one,” she agreed. “Aaron, how come you don't date?”
Aaron shrugged. “I date.”
“Not seriously. You go out with friends. You hang out at Rosie's.”
Turning to look at her, Aaron said, “Maybe...maybe because I already know what...who it is I want.” Aaron turned back to the water and sent another stone flying.
“Then why not do something about it?”
Aaron dropped his head before he turned back to the girl. “Because her dad scares the piss out of me. Sandy...”
“Sandy?” Jason whispered. Sandy set the guitar aside and stood up. She was tall for a woman. 6-foot tall barefoot. The look on her face coupled with the green eyes made Jason think of Marlene.
“I keep hoping for a romance like my parents'.”
“Dad still chases after mom. Sometimes they act like teenagers when they think I'm not around. He would do anything for her.”
Sandy shrugged. “My dad is the same. He would find a way to give her the world if she asked for it.”
“Your parents are weird. Your mom, your dad... Aunt Leah for that matter, all look like they did twenty years ago.”
“Good genes. I hope I inherited them.”