The strip of sand looked larger once we reached it, but not by much.
Chenghai pulled the boat into the shallow water and tied the rope around the trunk of a tree growing near the shore. Then he carried me the last few steps because the bottom of the lake had turned soft beneath my feet and I had already made it clear that I didn't trust anything I couldn't see.
He placed me on the sand with the life jacket still wrapped around me.
I looked down at it, then at him.
"We're on land now."
Chenghai opened the buckles and pulled the jacket away before lowering it beside the boat. The air felt much better without several inches of foam pressed around my chest.
The little beach wasn't hiding another part of the date. There were no blankets, food bags, vehicles, or pieces of furniture waiting behind the grass. It was only a quiet patch of sand beneath the trees, with enough dry ground for both of us to sit.
I checked anyway.
Chenghai noticed but didn't say anything.
