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At home, Marla ran a hot bath and soaked for thirty minutes. When she thought she might fall asleep in the tub, she got out, toweled off, and put her robe on. She plunged directly into bed and fell asleep.
At five o’clock that evening, she finally awoke. She got out of bed just long enough to eat something, and then she went back to bed for the night. It seemed that her long shift, along with the emotional exchange with Micah, had been more than she could handle in a day.
In the morning, Marla’s thoughts were fixed on Micah. His words replayed in her mind. Who was Allie, and what did he mean by someone else? After drinking her morning coffee, Marla meandered to the mailbox since she hadn’t checked it the day before. After carrying the mail into the kitchen, she sat down at the table. Halfway through the stack of envelopes was a letter from Charlie. He had somehow figured out where she was even though she hadn’t told him. Her stomach knotted, and she felt nauseated. She slowly opened the oversized envelope and pulled out the contents. There was no letter or note from Charlie. There was only a several-page document entitled “Dissolution of Marriage” and a check for $500.
Marla exhaled deeply and thumbed through the legal documents until she came to the last page. She was supposed to sign the last page and return the document to Charlie. The check was for the grandfather clock. Her eyes welled up with tears. She couldn’t decide if she was crying more for her failed marriage or for the loss of the clock. At that thought, she started to laugh hysterically, but the laughter quickly turned to sobs. Marla felt waves of anxiety, anger, pain, and hopelessness surge through her. As if the growing rage had reached its max, she suddenly felt the need for a release.
She ran to the bedroom and threw on a sweater, jeans, and boots. On the way out the back door, she grabbed her coat. There was a chill in the air, but the sun was out. Spotting the rowboat down by the dock, she ran down the deck steps and down the path. Turning the overturned rowboat right side up, she pushed it out into the water. She climbed into the boat, took ahold of the oars, and started rowing furiously toward the middle of the lake. Although she had no specific destination in mind, she couldn’t stop rowing. Tears erupted from her eyes as she rowed harder and more frantically. Sweat broke out on her forehead. When her muscles finally fatigued and she was breathless, she stopped rowing. She released the oars and covered her face as she sobbed.
After several minutes, when she had released all the cry she had in her, she slowly looked up. She sniffled and began to look around. The boat was in the middle of the lake. It was peaceful, and that is what she had wanted. All she could hear was the sound of the small waves rocking the boat. Her arms were tight and stiff from rowing so hard. Groaning, she stretched them out. She sat motionlessly for several minutes until the air started feeling colder, and the wind picked up. In the distance, a cloud front was coming toward her, and it looked like it might rain. Exhaling loudly, she closed her eyes. She didn’t want to continue being controlled by her emotions. She was tired of reacting to Charlie’s jabs, and she wished for freedom from the hold he and her father had on her. Praying silently, she said, Lord, give me strength to break free from the stronghold they have on my heart. Help me to be my own person and to see myself the way you see me.
Marla looked at the sky again. The front was now full of dark, threatening clouds, and it was moving toward her. It was time to row back in. Marla reached for the oars but gasped when she realized they were gone. She surveyed the boat and the area surrounding it. There were no oars in sight. Panic set in quickly. How am I going to get back? Her heart started racing. She closed her eyes tightly and covered her face with her hands. How could I let this happen? I’m so stupid. Tears began to free flow again. Hold it together. Someone will come along, she told herself.
Thunder bellowed in the distance. She looked up at the sky to see lightning. The downpour started almost instantly, and the rain was cold and drenching. Shivering, she tried to use her arms to row and move the boat, but it was of no use. Not only was she moving in circles, but she had also drifted farther from her dock. She was closer to Ben and Delaney’s cabin, but she couldn’t tell if anyone was there. She doubted they would be there during the day on a Sunday, but she still tried to be hopeful. Carefully standing up, she waved her arms furiously and screamed for help. There was no motion from the cabin. She sat back down as she started to teeter, and she plunged her face into her legs to seek shelter for her face from the rain.
The storm passed quickly, and the rain stopped, but Marla was soaked through and shivering uncontrollably. There was no way she would be able to swim all the way back. She began to cry as she realized she would have to wait for someone to rescue her.