Leo

The sweat dripping from my brow resembles nothing but the reward of making to the end of a moderate difficulty trail and staring at the intimidating waterfall ahead of me.

I had to travel forty-five minutes from Whistler to Squamish in order to reach Shannon Falls, but I'm here. I've completed another activity on the bucket list, the red checkmark clashing with the blue one.

And I have to say, Shannon Falls is one of the most stunning waterfalls I have ever seen. It's composed of a series of cliffs, rising about three-hundred-and-thirty-five metres above Highway 99, surrounded by a forest of alder. But what amazes me more than the view itself is the noise. It's a thunderous noise, reverberating from the rocky face to the leave of every alder and cedar tree.

While I want to get a closer look at what lies below, I must admit that my knees are shaking a little. The edge looks dangerous, laden with mossy and slippery rocks, and what lies below are equally as dangerous consequences. Although my curiosity is prominent, I would rather live and complete Dad's bucket list than fall to my inevitable death.

As I stare at the view, the cool mist from the waterfall cooling my heated skin, I wonder just how many times my dad climbed to the top of this peak and stared at the view of Squamish and the Stawamus Chief. I wonder what he thought about while standing here, viewing life from this rocky outcrop. I wonder how many times my mom was with him.

I sigh, running a hand through my hair. Maybe I'm wrong to be doing this alone. Maybe I should have brought a friend from New Brunswick on this trip with me. I love that I'm able to do all this, to reimagine what Dad enjoyed doing before he passed away, but it's somewhat lonely. I miss having someone to talk to, to take pictures with. As introverted as I can be, I wish I had someone here with me. Like I do at work.

Work.

Again, I sigh. Ever since I did my research on Aria Madden, I haven't been able to get her out of my head. Not because she's famous or rich. It's the fact that she doesn't seem like she's famous and rich. If Kolby hadn't of said anything, I never would have guessed her to be Canada's Golden Girl and have a considerably strong presence in the hockey world. Just recently, she attended a fundraising event with Benn, who is also a professional hockey player. There was a video of her doing a speech on why girls and woman should receive the same treatment men do in hockey, and when I found it, it had already reached over a million views.

Despite the information on the Internet for the world to see, I still feel like I've been prying too much. Her birthdate, nationality, and lineage all seem like something she should tell me.

I shake my head, returning my attention back to the scenery. It's awe-inspiring to see how the coasts of Canada differentiate when compared to each other. While the interior coast of New Brunswick is mainly composed of rolling plateaus and forests, the interior coast of British Columbia is definitive with its mountains and lakes and dense forests. The weather isn't too different, but the air quality is much different. Here, it's fresher, with only a hint of salt from the nearby ocean. 

And I think I'm fully beginning to understand why Dad loved this area so much. Every which way you turn, there's something to see, something to do. It's breathtaking. 

Just as I'm getting my camera ready to take some photos, my phone goes off. I answer it without checking the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Leo!" Aunty Tenille replies. "Sorry to bother you, but would you mind picking up a few groceries for me on your way home?"

"No problem," I shrug. "I needed to pick some stuff up anyway. Just let me know what you need."

After giving me a good talking-to about why I need to get a modern cell phone, Aunty Tenille lists off everything she needs for dinner tonight, as well as some extra items for around the house. I make a mental note of each item. I find that not having a modern phone, where someone can simply text me what they need, has kept my mind sharp and agile. Technically, people can still text me, even with this flip-phone, but the very sight of it makes the concept unappealing to people. 

"Seriously, Leo," Aunty Tenille laughs. "You need to get a new phone."

"I'll keep that in mind," I smile, even though it's a complete lie. I prefer to not be tied to my device like everyone else is nowadays. Without the looming pressure of social media hanging on my shoulders, my mind is free. I'm free to do whatever I want. "How about I call you when I'm at the store just to make sure I don't forget anything?"

"Okay," she replies, her voice scratchy through the phone. "Be safe, Leo."

We say our goodbyes and I slip my phone back in my pocket, staring out at the view. The last thing I want to do is leave this place, but I know I have to sooner than later. So, just in the memory of my father, I turn my back to the view, grab my camera, and take a picture of myself with the scenery in the background. 

I wish Dad could be here, making memories with me, but, even despite his lack of presence, I'm still grateful that I'm able to do this.

*  *  *

With grocery bags hanging off of my arms, I walk down the cobblestone pathway of The Village, hoping the bottom of Aunty Tenille's fabric grocery bag doesn't give out on me halfway to the truck. When I called her just to make sure I hadn't missed anything on my mental list, it turned out that she needed to get a few more things. Thankfully, tucked in the back of the truck, were a few grocery bags. Although, the number of bags isn't really helping the fact that my arms are already burning. 

"Leo!"

I freeze, slowly turning around. Ahead of me, dressed in a pair of short shorts and a knitted cardigan that matches the colour of her eyes is Aria. Behind her are three people that should be strangers to me, but are definitely not due to my research earlier this week. Trailing behind her are her mom, dad, and younger brother. 

"Aria," I reply, setting the bags down. As much as I would like to get back to Aunty Tenille's house, my arms are begging me to give them a rest. "What's up?"

"I was just going out for dinner with my parents," she shrugs, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "And my little brother." She quickly looks me over. "And I can see you went grocery shopping."

I can hear a slight twang of humour in her voice. 

"Yeah," I reply. "Aunty Tenille needed some stuff for dinner tonight. I was in town, so I volunteered to pick them up."

For the briefest of moments, Aria stares at me. And in that brief moment, I begin to feel self-conscious, worried that I reek of sweat after today's hike. While Aria is anything but intimidating when speaking to her, there's something about her presence that makes you sparsely uneasy. Perhaps it's the look in her eyes; she always seems to be analyzing the situation she's in, as well as her surroundings. It's not surprising, though. She's played hockey for years, so I don't doubt that she can't assess her surroundings well. 

"Aria?" her dad, Luke Madden, asks, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Who's this?"

Aria snaps out of whatever state of mind she's locked herself in, shaking her head. "Oh, sorry," she stammers. "That was rude of me. Dad, this is Leo, our newest employee at Grandma's shop. Leo, this is my dad, Luke Madden."

When I make eye contact with Luke, I immediately understand where Aria gets the shape and colour of her eyes from. Although, there is a slight difference. While Luke's eyes are the perfect blend of blue and green, Aria's have a greener tinge to them around the pupil. 

"It's nice to meet you," I say, holding out my hand. 

"The same to you, Leo," Luke replies, taking my hand. His grip is firm, but not too firm in the way that embeds fear into you. Although I will admit, I do feel a little intimidated standing before him. And I think this time it does have to do with his reputation. According to my research, Luke Madden wasn't much of a fighter before retirement, but when he got into it, he could take any player down. And I certainly don't want to be on the receiving end of that. "Aria has told us many things about you."

My gaze shifts to Aria, whose cheeks are now dusted with a faint blush. "Dad," she says. "I just told you that I worked with him. That's all." She clears her throat and then looks at me. "My parents and brother just got in from Calgary this afternoon. They've decided to stay for a bit."

"And you're not going to introduce your mom or brother?" the woman, who is clearly Aria's mom due to the shape of her face, the colour of her hair, and the angle of her cheekbones, says. 

Aria shoots me an unamused look. "Leo, this is my mom, Rosa. And this is my little brother, Jax."

I politely introduce myself to them, exchanging handshakes and hugs. 

"Well," I say after introductions have been made. "I'll let you get on with your late-afternoon plans. I don't want to be a bother."

Luke smiles. "Don't worry about it. Any friend of Aria's is a friend of ours." I don't miss the sly way in which he glances at his daughter. "Say, Leo, why don't you join us for dinner? I'm sure Aria would love it if you did." He throws his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to him. 

My eyes are instantly drawn to Aria's face. She looks like she's about to melt into a puddle and dissipate into the atmosphere, but she still keeps her gaze locked with mine. It's a gaze that's almost too intense for me. It's challenging, as if she's daring me to take the next step and agree to this sudden offer. 

But I can't look past the embarrassment that's visible on her face: the pinkness of her cheeks, the way she's fidgeting beside her dad. And, in all honesty, it angers me a little. How can she be embarrassed? At least she has a father that can embarrass her. At least she has a male figure that cares more than anything about her. 

It's wrong of me to be mad at her when I know I'm only green with envy, but I can't help it. I would do anything to share a moment like the one she's experiencing with my dad. A sudden pang of despair radiates through my heart, nearly causing me to stumble over my own shoes. I can't comprehend why my dad's death is affecting me so much now, as opposed to my younger years, but lately, I've been off. And seeing Aria's full, compacted family together, isn't helping me at the moment. 

"You know what?" I say. "The offer is very much appreciated, but I promised my aunt I'd be back with the groceries for dinner. Can we do a raincheck?"

"Of course," Rosa smiles. "It was a last-minute invitation. But we will take you up on that offer, Leo. Please, don't be a stranger."

Another pang goes through my heart. In some ways, Rosa reminds me of my mom: polite, respectful, and understanding. And I never realized just how much I missed her. How long it's been since I've talked to her.

"Of course," I nod, giving her my best smile. I glance at Aria. "I'll see you at work tomorrow, Aria."

"Okay," she replies softly, her gaze locked with mine, the same level of intensity still present. "See you, Leo."

Quickly, I gather up my groceries and begin making my way back to the truck. With each step I take, the weight on my shoulders becomes harder and harder for me to bear. I don't understand what's wrong with me, why my emotions are acting so unyielding toward me, but, then again, there are a lot of things I don't understand in this world. 

I don't understand why the world took Dad from me before I even got a chance to meet him. I don't understand why I can't get Aria out of my head, despite the fact that I am here to follow Dad's bucket list and complete it for him. 

And I don't know if it's the high concentration of pollen in the air or my unyielding emotions, but a tear slips down my cheek as I walk. 

I knew it was going to be hard for me to spend my summer here, but I didn't know it was going to be this hard.