Page 28 of Five Years
“Jesus, you scared me,” Leah sighed, her shoulders slumping back to that of a human and less of a porcupine primed to attack.
“Sorry, I didn’t want to yell.” Ariana said quietly.
The eighty-page guide provided by the owners clearly stated that there was to be no loud noises after dark, and not adhering to the good neighbour policy would result in being asked to leave the premises. It was the only part of the eighty-page manual in bold writing, highlighting the seriousness.
“You can’t creep up on someone in the dark!”
“Somehow, I think you’d be okay,” Ariana chuckled.
“Against you, maybe. Not a six-foot-five man with a goatee, steel-toe cap boots, a hammer attached to his belt, and a foreign accent that sounds slightly Canadian, but also Russian.”
“Erm, that’s oddly specific.”
“I have dreams about him sometimes, it’s stuck with me.”
Leah hated that guy. He called himself Damian, and he chased her through the imaginary streets in her dream until she hit a dead end, then she woke up. She never got to kick him in the balls, which seemed unfair considering she controlled the dream.
Leah wasn’t one for confrontation, certainly not in the business world. That’s where Ariana balanced her out. She was good at leading people, having difficult conversations, and she had a track record of producing a very successful, very high-performing team, but Ariana also had the physical strength of a wet noodle.
Leah had spent most of her adult life in the gym trying to remove the weight she gained after her parents’ divorce. Her mom stopped with the home-cooked family meals for a while and reverted to processed food and enough takeaways that Leah was on first-name terms with the manager at the local Burger King. The sheer amount consumed in her teens was the same reason she couldn’t set foot in one anymore. But every cloud meant Leah was a femme with the body of Simone Biles—not quite.
“Do you mind if I join you?” Ariana asked.
Leah nodded.
“What are you doing out here?”
“Just enjoying the peace and quiet.”
“And I’ve ruined that for you. That’s terrible. I should go.” Ariana turned to walk away; playfully, Leah tugged her back—it was instinctive.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Leah laughed—quietly.
Leah’s arm casually linked with Ariana’s as she pulled her back in line; she didn’t remove it. She should’ve done, but it felt so—normal.
Leah felt this calm wash over her like a showerhead hovering above.
What if they could be friends?
She would always have love for Ariana, and maybe a part of her would occasionally fall back into the place of wondering what could’ve been, but Ariana had always been good at keeping her grounded. She helped Leah put life into perspective, feel and understand what really mattered, and like some unseen superpower, she had this ability to help Leah feel hopeful, and in that moment, she was hopeful that they could reach a place of mutual happiness.
“Did you come out here looking for me?” Leah asked.
“Yes, and no.” Ariana smiled, looking down at Leah’s arm looped through hers. “I also like the peace and quiet, especially out here. I’ve spent a lot of time walking up and down this beach in recent years.”
“What made you think I’d be out here?”
“Instinct, I guess. Besides, there isn’t a whole lot of places you can walk out here. I figured you would avoid the wooded area,” Ariana laughed.
“Don’t—” Leah shuddered.
“Me and Grace sat out on the veranda last year for hours, and the woods incident made us laugh hysterically, like I couldn’t breathe.”
“I’m glad me sleep-walking to my death amused you,” Leah judged.
“It is still, to this day, the funniest thing I have ever been a part of.” Ariana laughed like nobody was watching, and Leah adored that. The corners of her eyes crinkled, her mouth stretched into a wide grin, her laugh was hearty but muted so as not to break policy. Ariana’s laugh was infectious; she pictured her and Grace laughing uncontrollably on the veranda. She pictured it so vividly, almost like she was there. Her laughter lines deepenedin the dimly lit moonlight with each burst of laughter, and Leah could’ve watched her all day.
It was a strange feeling that boiled within Leah’s core. The sense of contentment that she only ever felt around two people—Grace and Ariana. It returned as if they’d never been apart. Maybe it was a Harrison trait.
