“Vr-Vr-Vrrrrrrrrr” the engine of my parents’ old boat kicked to life.
“Oh good,” my mother looked up from her book and out of the wide windows that overlooked the lake. “It sounds like Dad got the boat running.” She set her book down on the table next to her overstuffed chair. “Go get ready. We’ll probably head out soon.” Mom stood up from the chair, walked to the sliding glass door and stepped onto the patio. “How much longer, hon’?” she yelled down to my father.
“Probably 20 minutes?” Dad yelled back up.
“20 minutes.” Mom repeated, returning to the cool air of the house. She walked past me on the couch and down the hall to their bedroom.
I set aside my own book and headed down to the basement. I walked into my sister and my shared bedroom. I pulled closed the curtain that covered to floor-to-ceiling windows that faced out of the room and into the trees surrounding our house. It was probably 300 feet or so down to the waterfront, and even though the trees blocked any view you might have from the water, I still felt better closing them.