The warm beams of the sun landed gently on their shoulders. All she could hear was his strong voice and the crispness of the leaves. "The last of the winter, I guess," she thought to herself. Families came out to play: walking their dogs, strolling their little people. As busy as that sinkhole was for a weekend, she felt a sea of calmness rolled over her body. She breathed in. The air was cool, a tad drier than her nose would have liked. But the combination of warmth and chill made her reached for the skies, literally. She slowly tilted her head back until her ponytail reached her lower back. A smile crept up quickly on her face, as her dimples crinkled under that freshness.

It didn't matter where they were going, as long as she was in Mother Nature's embrace. Her magnanimity sent blood gushing through her body. She shivered, and gave herself a tight squeeze. It didn't matter what they were chatting about, for no matter what, her footsteps were light. She heard her own voice, its timbre more dense like a deep alto. She wanted to keep walking and walking on the twiggy trail, as if there was nothing behind and everything ahead. She was hopeful, yet tentative of how hopeful she could be. She carefully pushed aside her hesitation, and took another step into the wilderness.

In that moment, she felt whole again.