The wonder years

It was a gray day crowned by a milky white sky that gave way to shafts of muted sunlight now and then. We were walking in the woods, the three of us, chatting about the latest documentaries we’d seen, fun summer plans, and the joy of fulfilling dreams. Our friend Ari had just finished building a forest hot tub using a cast iron, clawfoot jewel placed upon a stone platform with a firepit underneath. She was sharing what it felt like to finally sink into a warm bath in the middle of the woods when...