My Romance Life System

The boathouse sat at the lake's edge, weathered and smelling of damp wood. A college student lounged behind a stack of paddles and orange life vests.

Nina walked to the front. "Two two-person kayaks and one spot in the teacher canoe."

The student pointed at the vests. "Find ones that fit. Kayaks are on the rack. Canoe leaves in ten."

Getting Thea into a life vest was impossible. The smallest size swallowed her completely.

"This will have to work." Nina pulled the straps tight. "Now you're safe."

Thea looked down at herself without expression.

Kofi and Jake dragged two kayaks to the water. Yellow plastic and faded green, both heavy and awkward.

"You steer from the back," Kofi told Jake. "Use the paddle like a rudder when we turn."

Jake held up his paddle. "Rudder. Got it."

"If we tip over, I can swim," Ruby said.

"That's reassuring."

Kofi walked Thea to the canoe where Ms. Lail waited with two other students. "She goes with you."

Ms. Lail smiled. "Perfect. Sit right here, Thea. Best view on the lake."

Thea climbed in carefully. Her sketchbook sat in a plastic bag on her lap.

Kofi returned to the yellow kayak. Nina was already in front, settled and ready.

"You paddle, I navigate," Nina announced. "And distribute snacks when needed."

Kofi got in back. The kayak rocked once, then steadied. He pushed off from shore and they glided onto the clear water. The canoe was already moving ahead at a gentle pace.

Jake tried to get into the green kayak while Ruby held it steady. He missed his step and ended up half in the boat with one leg in the lake.

"Cold!" He scrambled the rest of the way in, splashing Ruby in the process.

"It's just water." Ruby wiped her face, laughing.

They pushed off in a zigzag pattern, their paddling completely uncoordinated.

Kofi and Nina found their rhythm immediately. Their paddles moved together, sending the yellow kayak forward in smooth strokes. The boathouse shrank behind them and the lake opened up wide and quiet.

"See? We work well together." Nina twisted to look back at him.

"You've paddled for five minutes."

"It's not about paddling. It's about morale. My morale is excellent."

Kofi shook his head but smiled. He looked ahead at the canoe. Thea was sitting straighter now, her head up, watching the shoreline.

'This might work,' he thought.

---

The yellow kayak cut through the water smoothly. Kofi paddled steadily while Nina provided what she called moral support. The lake stretched blue and calm to the pine-covered shores.

Nina had stopped pretending to paddle ten minutes ago. She leaned back with her sunglasses on, looking like she owned the entire lake.

"If you ignore Jake and Ruby going in circles back there, this is actually peaceful."

Kofi glanced over his shoulder. The green kayak was spinning slowly about fifty yards behind them. Jake and Ruby seemed to be talking instead of paddling.

'They're not even trying to go anywhere. Probably for the best.'

He looked forward again. The canoe with Thea was closer to shore, moving at an easy pace. Thea was pointing at something in the trees while Ms. Lail turned to see.

"This is nice. Just quiet," Nina said.

The kayak felt small and private. Nina sat only a foot away. He could smell her coconut sunscreen. The enclosed space made everything else on the lake seem distant. That moment in the hallway came back to him, the charged silence before the bell rang.

'Don't think about it. Just paddle.'

"So, Brother-Commander. How does it feel being responsible?"

He sighed quietly. "Like I do a lot more laundry now."

"Liar. You're good at this. You knew exactly what to do with Thea at the sandwich place. And with the cabin assignments. You just handle things. It's weird."

"It's not weird. It's doing what needs to be done."

"No, it's weird for you. The Kofi I met a few weeks ago would have hidden in a corner until the problem went away. Now you're negotiating with teachers and ordering sandwiches for traumatized girls. Character development."

'Is she right?' The old Kofi felt like a stranger now. Someone who wanted to interact with as few people as possible each day.

"Things change."

"Yeah. They do."

They paddled in silence. Only the splash of his paddle and a distant bird call.

"Hey, Kofi?"

"Yeah?"

She turned around to face him. The kayak rocked slightly. Her sunglasses were pushed up and her eyes were clear and direct in the bright sun. "About the other day. In the hallway."

His heart jumped. His hands gripped the paddle tighter. 'Here we go.'

"We don't have to talk about it."

"I know. But I want to. Just for a second." She took a breath. "I was surprised. That's all. It wasn't a bad surprise. Just a surprise."

He looked at her. His thoughts were a tangle. 'It wasn't a bad surprise for me either. It was the most terrifying and amazing thing that almost happened.'

"It's okay. Things are complicated right now. With Thea and everything."

Understanding softened her face. "Yeah. I know." She held his gaze. A silent conversation passed between them. Then she gave a small, sad smile and turned back around.

"So. Are you going to paddle all day, or can I distribute the emergency snacks?"

Relief washed over him. She was letting it go. For now. "Snacks sound good."

The tension dissolved. Their comfortable friendship returned. But the moment hung between them now, a quiet, unanswered question floating on the wide, deep lake.

---

"Emergency snack distribution commencing." Nina rummaged in the dry bag wedged between her feet. She produced sour apple candies with a flourish. "One for you, three for me. Navigator's privilege."

Kofi stopped paddling and let the kayak drift. The sun was high and the middle of the lake was vast and quiet. The canoe still traced the shoreline to their left. Jake and Ruby's green kayak was nowhere in sight.

"Nina? Where did Jake and Ruby go?"

Nina scanned the lake, shading her eyes. "They were right behind us a minute ago. The masters of the wobbly circle." She pointed toward a rocky outcropping a hundred yards away. "Maybe they went to look at rocks?"

A faint yelp carried across the water from the rocks. Then a loud splash.

Kofi and Nina looked at each other. 'Oh, shit.'

"That was a Jake-yelp. And a definite splash."

Kofi was already digging his paddle into the water, turning toward the outcropping with powerful strokes.

"I knew it!" Nina twisted around to help paddle, her laziness forgotten. "I knew he'd do something stupid! This is what I get for having faith in him!"

They rounded the rocky point and saw it. The green kayak floated upside down, its hull like a sad dome in the water. Two heads bobbed nearby. Jake was flailing, smacking the water with zero coordination. Ruby treaded water calmly with an exasperated look.

"Jake! Stop splashing, you're not helping!"

"I'm not splashing, I'm swimming! Tactical doggy paddle!"

"Tactical drowning," Nina muttered.

Kofi brought their kayak alongside. "Jake, grab the side."

Jake lunged for the boat with panicked determination. His weight nearly capsized them too.

"Easy!" Kofi leaned hard to the other side. "Just hold on."

"What happened?" Nina demanded, looking at Ruby.

Ruby pushed wet hair from her face. "Jake saw a turtle on a rock and got excited. He leaned too far to get a better look."

"I was identifying its species! It could have been a rare, high-altitude Blanding's turtle! For science!"

"It was a painted turtle, Jake. The most common turtle in this entire region. And now we are wet."

"New plan," Kofi said. "We can't get you both back in out here. Too unstable. We'll tow you to shore." He looked around. A small sandy beach sat in a cove fifty yards away. "There."

"How do we tow them?"

"They hold the back. I paddle. A lot."

"Worst rescue mission ever," Jake moaned through chattering teeth.

"Be quiet or I'll splash you with my paddle," Nina threatened.

Ruby swam calmly to the back of the kayak. "It's okay, Jake. Just hold on and kick your feet. It will help."

The slowest, most pathetic towing operation in Lakeview history began. Kofi paddled, his arms burning from pulling the dead weight of the waterlogged kayak and two soaked teenagers. Nina tried to help but their paddling was completely out of sync. She mostly splashed water on his back. Jake clung like a terrified barnacle while Ruby kicked calmly with a serene, slightly disappointed expression.

Fifteen minutes to cover fifty yards. Kofi steered into the shallows and the kayak scraped against sand. Jake immediately let go and scrambled onto shore, collapsing in a shivering, dramatic heap. Ruby waded out with quiet grace, squeezing water from her long hair.

Kofi and Nina climbed out stiffly. They stood on the small, secluded beach looking at the scene. One upside-down kayak, two very wet friends, and the lingering scent of failure.

"Well. That was an adventure," Nina said, hands on her hips.