The Sheltered Cove

     It was Emily's favorite spot to go to when she needed time to relax and find herself again.  She would paddle herself across the river and into a cove that was tucked away behind huge weeping willows.  This was her Eden.  No one knew of this place but her.  She discovered it several years ago when she was trying to fight her way upstream back to where her cabin is located.  She pulled along side the river bank near the weeping willows for a short rest.  Behind her a ways she heard a faint rippling sound of the water as it spilled over into the small cove.  The water was knee deep throughout but super clear.  Fish could be spotted dancing about under the water.  The birds played a musical symphony in the trees.  On rare occasions when Emily would enter the cove she would find some random animal taking a drink of the water.  Emily would try to be as quiet as she could entering the cove so she didn't disturb the animals.  They would soon hear the water break against the rowboat and they would get scared and scamper away into the woods.
    
     One day she needed to escape life for a while and she found her way back into this cove and pulled her boat ashore.  She laid down on the sandy shore and watch the clouds form into different shapes above her.  The sun beamed down upon her soft face and warmed it.  She would tuck her hands under her head as she would just gaze upwards to the sky.  No thoughts entered her mind.  She was just there, in the moment, taking in the beautiful summer day. 

     She knew of a wild strawberry patch nearby in the woods and remembered that she brought a bucket so she could pick some and bring them home.  She rises up and walks back over to the boat that was still tied up to a birch tree nearby to grab her bucket.  A loud snapping sounded behind her.  Her head shot up and looked around.  She didn't see anything.  While still looking around her fingers were able to locate the handle on the bucket.  It was probably an animal. She thought to herself.  The cove was too peaceful of a place for her to be afraid of.  She walked off in search for the wild strawberries. 

     She lost track of time and came back to the cove close to when the sun was setting.  She quickly went over to the boat and tossed in her bucket filled with strawberries.  She went over to the tree and undid the knot in the rope so she can set her boat free again.  As she was messing with the knot something caught her attention under the willow trees.  There, near the base of the trunk, laid an oval package.  It had floral wrapping paper and with a blue ribbon and bow.  She stared at it for a moment as if it were to transform into something else.  She looked around but no one was there.  Her hands froze over the knot.  She wasn't sure what to do.  No one knew about this cove.  Or so she thought.  But who would be leaving gifts?  Was it even for her? 

     She walked over to the package.  On it was a note.  It said: "To the lady of the cove."  She picked it up.  It was very light.  She looked around again in hopes of seeing who left the package but there was no one around.  It was silent.  The birds had stopped singing their song and she failed to notice that until now.  Emily looked down at the package and thought for a moment and smiled.  She sat down near the trunk of the willow and started to remove the blue ribbon.  It had a lovely velvet texture to it.  She rubbed the ribbon between her fingers for a moment.  It had to be expensive.  You cannot buy ribbon like that around these parts.  She looked up at the sun starting to tuck itself away under the trees.  She had to hurry.  She pulled the ribbon and it unraveled off the box.  She lifted the lid and there was a beautiful sun hat.  It was white with black lace trim above the brim of the hat.  Pink camellia flowers with baby's breath were arraigned neatly around the hat.  The black lace even hung off the back of the hat with the pink camellia flower ending off the ribbon.  Emily gasped at the beauty of the hat.  She tried it on and felt it upon her head.  It was a perfect fit.  She quickly packed the hat back into the box and put the lid on.  She placed the package next to the strawberries in the boat and untied the boat.  She made her way out of the cove and she started to head for shore.  But someone, still on the cove, was watching her leave.