By late morning, the town was just beginning to stir — children biking down Main Street, the smell of bread drifting from the bakery, a soft wind rattling the café sign across the square.
Hannah and Emma stepped out into the sunlight hand in hand, both smiling in that quiet, secret way of people who'd found something good and weren't ready to let it go.
"Where to first?" Emma asked, tugging playfully at Hannah's arm.
Hannah squinted against the light. "Coffee, obviously. Then maybe the farmers' market. You still owe me a proper breakfast after that instant oatmeal disaster last week."
Emma laughed. "That was a modern art piece, not a disaster."
"It was oatmeal cement."
They strolled through the market, pausing at every other stall — Emma picking up jars of jam she didn't need, Hannah getting distracted by every display of flowers. They stopped at a stand selling fresh croissants, and Emma bought two before Hannah could protest.
"Consider it penance for the oatmeal," Emma said, breaking one in half and handing it over.
Flakes of pastry caught in her hair, and Hannah laughed, brushing them away. "You're hopeless."
"And you like me that way."
They wandered down toward the lake after lunch, the sunlight bouncing off the water in soft ripples. The air smelled like spring and cinnamon from the nearby food trucks. Emma kicked off her shoes and stepped onto the small dock, balancing with her arms out like a tightrope walker.
"Careful," Hannah warned.
Emma grinned over her shoulder. "I've got good balance."
"Famous last words."
Emma hopped down, splashing a bit of water toward Hannah's ankles. Hannah shrieked and splashed back, laughing until her cheeks hurt. They chased each other down the edge of the dock, until both were breathless and soaked at the cuffs.
When they finally sat down, the laughter softened into quiet smiles. The kind that come from being completely at ease.
Emma tilted her head toward Hannah. "I could get used to days like this."
"Then let's make more of them," Hannah said.
And for a moment, it felt like the whole world agreed — the soft waves, the golden air, the town in the distance humming like a lullaby.