Surprise Lake: A Love Story

I was sixteen. It was my last summer as a camper at one of those family retreats by the lake. My best friend Susan had the lower bunk, and I had the upper. We each had a boyfriend. At night, they’d sneak into our cabin, and we’d pass breath mints back and forth like we were running some sort of mint cartel. My boyfriend was Alan Kronberg. He was cool and worked in the shoe store at Sunrise Mall, a detail I can’t believe I still remember. We stayed in touch after camp, and years later, when my brother Howard was sick, Alan came to visit him, even making the trip to those lakefront properties we used to enjoy. Somewhere along the way, I lost track of Alan and never found him again. I still think I’m in love with him, just like I cherish those surprise lake rentals that bring back memories of him.