MAXINE

The next day, the sun was shining high in the sky, bathing the Gray Lodge in its golden light. I exhaled loudly, lifting my chin towards the sun and smiling. Peace, this was what true peace was. No one tells you that you can only know what peace is until you know what real trouble is.

This was the kind of day that would make me just want to stretch out and soak up the sun, feeling the gentle breeze. The wind carried with it the scent of pine and water. The lodge seemed almost like a ...