Page 78 of Not Until I Found You

Maxinne laughs softly, settling in beside me. I lean back, snacks within reach, watermelon in my lap, and let the moment stretch between us.

By the time Elsa is singing “Let It Go,” Annabelle has fallen asleep on the couch.

Maxinne leans in toward me and whispers, “I can see why she picked the name Sven for your dog.”

“I knew you’d get it once you watched the movie.”

She grins and tosses the last piece of cheese into her mouth. My eyes linger, especially when her tongue darts out to lick her lips. Sven grunts from his place next to our feet, and he twists until he’s on his back, paws dangling in the air. We both chuckle at him.

“You know, since she’s asleep, we could put something on for us to watch,” she suggests.

“You mean to tell me you don’t want to see if Anna will figure out how to cure her icy heart?”

“As tempting as that is, I’ve been watching The Chosen recently, and I’m dying to know what happens.”

Her words catch me off guard. I’m not sure why, exactly. They just do.

She’s being brave enough to search for Jesus and who He really is beneath all the things that once hurt her. I want to make sure that I’m providing a safe space for her to keep asking questions. Because I want to encourage her to keep seeking and remind her that God isn’t standing at a distance with his arms crossed. He is patient, and kind, and closer than she realizes.

“What season and episode are you on?”

She hesitates then pulls out her phone, scrolling until she finds it. “Season one, episode five.”

“Alright.” I reach for the remote, our shoulders nearly brushing as I queue it up. “Let’s watch it.”

Chapter Eighteen

Maxinne

The kayak rocks gently beneath me as I follow the others across the creek. Sunlight flickers through the canopy of trees overhead, scattering ribbons of gold across the water. The only sounds are the steady dip of paddles and birds calling from deep in the woods.

“You okay back there, Maxinne?” Luke shouts from over his shoulder, his voice carrying easily across the water.

Even though this is my first time kayaking, I don’t feel like I’m struggling to keep up. My paddle moves with a steady rhythm, the motion becoming familiar in my hands. I lift my chin and nod, a grin pulling at my lips.

“Keeping up just fine, thank you,” I call back.

A flash of humor crosses his expression before he returns to his paddling. Olivia, who’s drifting off to my right, flashes me a thumbs up. She’s been my unofficial cheerleader this entire kayaking trip. Her bright, sunshine-y energy is impossible not to absorb, and I’ve felt lighter because of it.

“You’re a natural,” she sing-songs, her freckled face brightening.

“We’re almost to the end,” Zane announces from the front of our pack, twisting in his seat enough for his eyes to find mine, and he gives me a grin that sends my pulse racing.

We haven’t talked much since we pushed off from the bank, but somehow, we haven’t needed to. Every glance we share feels intentional, and yet, more questions seem to find their way into my thoughts.

What do those looks mean? Am I imagining the weight behind them because I’m reading into things? Is Zane feeling this too? We’re stuck in this space between what’s been said and what hasn’t.

I ponder these recurring questions as the kayak glides forward with little effort, the current doing most of the work. The water beneath me is clear enough that I can see smooth stones and strands of moss drifting lazily below the surface. Every dip of my paddle sends small ripples outward across the water, each one easing something tight inside my chest.

Zane floats a few feet ahead of me, his kayak angled toward the bank, and he laughs at something Luke says. The sound of it bounces over the water. Olivia has fallen back now, her paddle resting across her lap as she trails her fingers through the creek, creating lazy spirals that fade almost as quickly as they form.

I like that none of us are in a hurry to end our time together.

I hadn’t realized how much I needed a day like today. Zane came knocking on my door this morning, and I expected to see his niece standing with him, but instead, he asked if I wanted to join him and a few friends for kayaking, seeing how I’d mentioned wanting to try it a couple weeks ago.

Of course I said yes. Kayaking has been tucked away on my mental bucket list since I arrived in Covewood. This is something I never would have considered in the city, but after having a taste of it, I already want to plan our next adventure.

Eventually, the creek widens, and Zane lifts up a hand to wave at us, signaling the end of our route. I steer toward the bank, my feet slipping into the cool water as I climb out and haul my kayak onto shore.