Like a cat following a laser, I bound towards the blue crystals dancing on the water, through the misted grass of our backyard and past the towering oaks lining the lawn.

Though my bare feet crunch over dead leaves and sharp twigs, my feet feel like they’re racing through white, fluffy clouds. 

“Slow down!” I hear my dad call after me. 

I simply laugh, running down the vast stretch of trees.

I slow my pace and approach the dry, wooden stairs with caution, carefully stepping down, as not to trip.

I steady my breathing, trying to slow my giddy heart. I take a couple of deep breaths, grin and walk to the end of the dock.

I roll up my grass-stained, white capris and dabble my toes in the smooth glass water. It feels like ice, soon to be warmed by the sun’s rays. 

I dip my fingers in the water, too, watching the rings grow bigger and bigger as they float further and further away.

I look back to the rocks lining the start of the dock and see something I’ve never seen up close before. The solid, strong aquatic plants sway to the rhythm of the small waves breaking at the end of the rocks. Each holds an array of pink, yellow, and white coloured flowers. The green circular plants, held up by a skinny stem, look up at me as if to say, “Jealous of our beauty?”

I kneel down and stretch my arm out as far as I can, pawing at the lily pads. I grab onto one as soon as it touches my fingers. I detach the flower and run my fingers over the velvet petals before placing back in the clear water again. I watch it float towards the middle of Pine Lake bouncing and waving it’s bright yellow petals at me.

I can’t wait to explore the rest of the lake during my first summer at the new house.