Ashton visited the lake in the woods at least once a year. It was the perfect escape from the busy day-to-day life that he often felt an overwhelming desire to escape—at least temporarily. The lake was on his grandparents’ property, and Ashton felt a sense of nostalgia whenever he returned to the lake and began reliving memories of camping on the shore of the lake with his grandfather.

“I miss you gramps.” Ashton whispered as he walked the shore of the lake and took in the view of a near-setting sun.

As if in response to his sentiments, a cool breeze passed quickly, enfolding Ashton and creating ripples on the surface of the lake. Ashton smiled as he watched the ripples, recalling how his grandfather had taught him how to skip stones across the still surface of the lake. He’d never been very good at it, but he loved to watch his grandfather.

He always made it look so easy. Ashton thought, And I loved to guess how many skips he was going to get before the stone dropped into the lake.

The lake in the woods was a place of peace and relaxation for Ashton—a treasured memory that he planned to hold onto for his entire lifetime.