Charles and Julie stand at the foot of the trail, poised, about to race. The sign reads Birch Lake Pass.Charles’s face is scruffy, sandy stubble like pebbles against his chin. He wears a plain white T-shirt and khaki pants. Julie has her hair pulled back into a bun. She wears a patchwork jumper that makes her look like a child again. Jess is strapped to her back in a carrier, giggling in the sunshine, a hat protecting her cheeks and neck from the summer’s heat.Julie plants her feet in the dirt, turns to Charles and flashes him a small, mischievous grin. Then, like a jackal, she begins sprinting through the forest, Charles soon following behind. They plunge through the trees, the forest coming alive around them, a breathing creature, the colors vibrant and shifting, the trees yawning in the afternoon light. Charles reaches out, again and again, never quite able to catch up to Julie and Jess, Jess howling with laughter at the bumpy ride. Finally Julie arrives at a clearing at the top of a cliff overlooking the lake.
