Chapter 3
I barely slept a wink that night.
The rain outside my window kept starting and stopping, and the drip-drip from the eaves lasted all the way till morning.
Early the next morning, Toby told me in a matter-of-fact tone, "Chelsea's still not feeling well, so we can't do the dress photoshoot today.
"Let's take the ferry instead. The river views in Landskar are pretty unique."
I was stunned for a moment.
The dresss in my suitcase were the ones I'd carefully picked out and folded again and again before finally squeezing them in.
They were pale blue, lavender, and bright red. I'd already matched each one with the perfect pair of shoes and a hairpin.
"Didn't we agree to take the photos today?" I blurted out without thinking.
Toby said, frowning, "She's got a bad stomachache. We can't make her tough it out.
"The ferry's a good idea, too. Don't get hung up on those photos."
There was nothing I could say at that point.
Landskar was split right down the middle by a river, with the north and south banks facing each other.
The gondolas were the oldest way people got around here.
The boats were tiny, with long, slender wooden bodies. The maximum number of passengers was four people.
The boatman worked the oar at the back, guiding us along.
The bow tipped up a bit, slicing through the water and leaving rings of ripples behind.
Toby and Chelsea sat side by side at the bow, with a sketchbook each, planning to capture the outline of the far bank while they could.
"Look at that roof overhang, the angle echoes the bridge up ahead," Chelsea said, pointing across the river as her pen flew across the page.
"Yeah, that's from medieval times. The lines are much crisper than those from Colonial times," Toby replied, turning his head so his chin almost brushed the top of her hair.
I sat on the only bench in the middle, clutching the spare umbrellas for all three of us.
The water was like a dark green mirror, showing their reflections side by side.
They were so close that it felt like they were always meant to sit together.
Meanwhile, my shadow sat alone on the other side, a seat's width away, like an extra who'd accidentally wandered into the picture.
As the boat drifted to the middle of the river, a gentle breeze skimmed the water, scattering tiny sparkles across the surface.
They kept their heads down, sketching, sometimes throwing around art jargon I couldn't follow. Every so often, they'd exchange a knowing smile.
I watched my reflection on the water. The oar broke it apart, but it slowly pieced itself back together.
It came together, only to break apart again.
When we got off the boat, there were way more tourists than I'd expected.
The narrow alley was packed. Umbrellas were pressed together, and shoulders were bumping into each other.
The crowd nearly knocked Chelsea off her feet, but Toby was quick. He wrapped his arm around her, keeping the crowd at bay.
"Don't wander off," Toby said, frowning, with a hint of scolding in his voice.
Still, his touch was careful, as if he were afraid someone else might hurt her.
Chelsea stuck out her tongue playfully. "Why are you being so mean? I didn't do it on purpose."
Toby stayed quiet, keeping her close as they moved forward, steering her away from a tourist brandishing a selfie stick.
I got shoved from behind, stumbled forward, and clumsily held onto my bag.
The crowd swept me along like a wave, and by the time I finally squeezed out of that narrow alley, my hair was all over the place, and my clothes were wrinkled and messy.
It felt like the rain from yesterday was still lingering. My head was foggy, and my nose was a bit stuffy.