Free Time Is a River by Mary Alice Monroe

In the deep pockets the still, shadowed water was the color of green tea. The shallow water rushing over pebbles with noisy splashes sparkled in the sunlight like shards of crystal.
    Mia felt the colors of the river seep into her skin to race in her veins. She rose and with a light step hurried to the cabin to capture the energy she felt inside before it flowed from her. She scrambled to grab her paints, paper, and brushes and carried them to the table. Then she took a glass, filled it with water, and stuck a brush in it.
    She smoothed the blank piece of paper with her palms then took a step back, wringing her hands, feeling daunted by the blank, white space waiting to be filled. When she was young, colors had exploded in her mind and she was fearless. She prayed for the colors now. She took a deep breath, then with a step forward, she dabbed the brush into blue. Slowly, she laid the pigment down, letting the paper absorb the hue. Layer after layer she added colors. She wasn’t seeking to make any form. She just let the blues and greens and yellows and browns intermingle and flow like the river.
    When she set the brush down again she stepped back and looked at her work. The watercolors dripped across the paper. A small smile curved her lips. It didn’t matter if it was great art. It wasn’t. But she’d covered the blank page with her vision of the river. It was her first connection to nature. It was, she knew, her first step out from darkness.

    “Hello! Is anybody home?”
    The sound of a voice broke the omnipresent silence of the cabin. Mia was washing her underwear in the bathtub and swung her head around toward the door.
    “Belle? Is that you?”
    “Who else? Can I come in?”
    Mia scrambled to her feet and grabbed a towel. Drying her hands, she hurried from the bathroom. Belle was standing in the front room carrying waders, a rod, and a box of supplies.
    “What a surprise!” Mia exclaimed, beaming from ear to ear. “I’m so glad to see you. Come in, come in. Here, let me take that box.”
    “No, I got it,” Belle replied, grinning. She carried the box to the table and set it down with a thunk.
    “What is all that stuff?”
    “Surprises,” Belle said, her dark eyes sparkling. She looked around. “The place looks good. Smells good, too. Last time I was here all I could smell was mice droppings and mold.” She sniffed loudly. “Lemon oil. Nice.”
    “Thank you very much,” Mia replied with mock hauteur. “My nails are a wreck but I won the battle with the oven.”
    “Never doubted it for a minute.” She tilted her head. “You look good, too. You’ve got some color. I’m glad to see it. I tell you it was a struggle not to come here right off. I was worried about you but I wanted to give you a few days on your own to figure things out. But I was also afraid I’d find you curled up in the fetal position on that big ol’ sofa.”
    “If you came the first day, you would have. But it’s hard to be too lazy up here. Nature is a strict taskmaster.”
    Belle chuckled in agreement. “I like that.” When Mia’s eyes moved to the box, Belle reached out for the waders. “Here, try these on.”
    Mia approached them with reverence. Stepping into them was like stepping into a pair of footie pajamas. She slid her feet into the waterproof socks of the waders, then tugged the garment up over her shorts and T-shirt to fasten the suspenders at her chest. Next she put her feet into the felt-soled boots, wiggling her toes and tying the laces tight. Over this she put the tan vest. It was one of those she’d worn at the CFR retreat, with multiple pockets of all sizes filled with bottles, pliers, and tubes. She didn’t know one whit about how to use them but she was charmed by the way the gadgets dangled from the vest. It made her at least feel like she knew what she was doing out there on the water.
    She caught a glimpse of herself in the armoire mirror and chuckled. “I look like a model for an Orvis