"Awesome! Can we go fishing too?"
Beth smiled at the excitement in Joanna's eyes. She was full of wonder and joy, and Beth wanted to capture every moment of it. Fishing would be perfect for that, just the three of them out on the river with solitude and peace all around them.
"Anything you want, angel," Beth said. "Though I hope Ken is better at fishing than I am, I'm rusty after all these years."
"I can't say I'll be much better than either of you, but that just means we can learn together, isn't that right?" Ken said with a bright smile.
"Yay!" Joanna jumped for joy, recklessly swinging Ken's arm, and the picnic basket, back and forth.
They all laughed, and bliss filled Beth as she watched her family soaking up the beauty of their surroundings. As they went on with their hike toward the perfect spot that Beth had in mind, Joanna chattered excitedly about her new friend, Gordy, the boy she had met shortly after arriving in town. It seemed like the pair had gotten into a fair bit of trouble already, but at least it was the good-natured kind of trouble, not the kind that would get her expelled from school.
It felt strange shedding their old life completely away, replacing it with the new one that really wasn't that new at all. Beth and Joanna slid into the places they'd naturally belonged in fourteen years ago, and within only a month of being back, it was almost as though they'd never left.
Ken seemed just as happy as Joanna, his eyes crinkling in delight whenever he looked at her or Beth. He held their hands tightly as they strolled together through the woods, savoring every moment of being with his family again.
Finally, Beth spotted a small clearing near a gently flowing river, an ideal location for a peaceful picnic. The sun shimmered off the water's surface, dappling the lush greenery with golden light. The air was still and peaceful, filled with the sound of birds chirping and leaves rustling in the breeze.
The three of them spread out a blanket on the grassy ground and unpacked their basket of food and drinks, sandwiches that Beth had specially prepared for this trip. While they were unpacking, an eagle swooped from the trees and dove into the river, snatching a fish from the waves right in front of them.
Joanna's hands flew to cover her mouth. "Oh my god! Did that just happen?"
"That's nature for you," Beth laughed. "You don't get sights like this in the city."
"What's your favorite thing about being back here?" Ken asked Beth from over the rim of his water bottle. "Besides me, of course."
Beth playfully swatted him. "Well, let's see. It would have to be everything."
"Everything? That doesn't count as an answer. Come on, be more specific."
"Fine, then the fresh air, the stunning natural beauty, the quiet solitude. It all just feels like home to me."
Ken glanced out at the rushing river, the swaying trees, and his eyes finally landed on Joanna, who had already devoured half of a sandwich.
"I feel so lucky," he whispered. "I get to wake up every day surrounded by this kind of splendor with my two favorite people in the world."
"Aww, dad, you're such a suckup." Joanna grinned and tossed an apple at Ken. He caught it. "Are you ever going to stop being so gooey?"
"Nope. Never. You're going to have to deal with me being lame and embarrassing all the way up until the day I die."
Joanna groaned, but she was still laughing. "I guess it's still better than having no dad."
Ken's smile faltered somewhat, and he inched closer to Joanna, placing his arm around her shoulders. "We have every day from here on out to make up for our lost time. So what else do you want to do, muffin? Fishing? Hiking? You only have one more week before school starts."
School had actually started a month and a half ago, but Ken and Beth had agreed that Joanna could stay out of school for a while longer as she adjusted. After moving to Silvercoast, meeting her dad for the first time, and having to get over the traumatic incidents she'd faced with the girls and the principal at Joanna's old school, they didn't want to force too much on her at once.
"I want to go swimming too, and I want to learn how to hunt, and I want to learn all about the wolves, and our pack history," Joanna rambled on. "Oh! And what about the goblins? What happened with the goblins?
"We're not going to cover all that in a week." Ken kissed the top of Joanna's head. "But we'll do what we can. How about we finish eating first and we'll start with a hunting lesson?"
Her eyes widened. "As a wolf?"
"Absolutely, if that's what you want."
Joanna began scarfing down the rest of her food, and Ken and Beth both looked on in amusement. Their daughter was so much like them, it was like looking into the mirror sometimes. She was even like Ken, despite not having him around to influence her.
Now that they were officially moving back into town, the whole world was laid out before Beth. Her daughter was old enough now that, with Ken in their lives, Beth could do anything in life that she wanted.
She wasn't sure what she wanted to do; her life had been all about Joanna and it had been years since she had lived for herself. Maybe she could take up yoga lessons, or work part-time at the local bakery, or take a seat on the pack council.