The Lake House

6|| The Camera

Lesley sat in her comfy armchair in the living room, relishing in the tranquility of the day. The sun's rays spiraled through the open curtains, casting a gentle glow into the room.

A soft breeze of air drifted in through the screen door, causing the sheer curtains to wave back and forth delicately.

It was the most relaxing day Lesley had experienced in quite some time. She had consciously thrown out the thoughts of the previous day's event and wanted nothing more than to enjoy her day.

In her hands, she held the highly acclaimed book "The Proverbial Life of a Photographer." Her eyes were glued to the pages as she flipped through each one, taking a keen interest in learning new skills for her soon-to-be Photography business.

Lesley fell in love with photography in eighth grade, thanks to her teacher, Mrs. Longmire. Mrs. Longmire had taught Lesley the inherent beauty embedded within the art of photography, and soon, Lesley became consumed with it.

Her mother had bought young Lesley a new camera after Lesley's persistent begging, which fueled her enthusiasm even further. The small black camera hung from thirteen-year-old Lesley's neck as she scoured the neighborhood searching for the perfect scenery and backdrops. She was fond of nature and found it one of the purest forms of beauty.

Lesley captured bees buzzing in the air while pollinating wildflowers, sunrises at the beach, and birds nesting in the nearby trees. She knew, without a doubt, that photography would become her career of choice once she reached adulthood.

However, it wasn't until she graduated from Stony Brook University at age twenty-two that the economy crashed, and she decided against it. With a freshly minted BFA in Photography, she realized that a stable career would be much more practical than freelancing as a photographer. At twenty-one, with six-figure college debt, Lesley knew she needed to be realistic about the opportunities she would pursue.

After reading a plethora of books on the tech recruiting industry, she gained a fair amount of knowledge. One day, she found herself in an interview with Millers Tech Recruiters Inc., Surprising even herself at the sophistication of the words she was able to produce as they spilled right out of her mouth.

Though she had no prior experience, the management team was impressed by her ability to learn and gain a wealth of knowledge about the industry all on her own.

Nick had been one of Lesley's first candidates in her new recruiting gig. When she came across his resume, she was impressed. He was a software engineer and studied at NYU. She knew finding him a high-paying job wouldn't be difficult at all. And she was right. Lesley was able to secure Nick a position with one of the top tech companies in the world.

Nick had a slight crush on Lesley, but she was unaware until he called her up one day. Nick proposed less than a year later.

Lesley was the photographer at her wedding; she refused to have another photographer come in and do a job that she did so well. Her mother told her she looked ridiculous taking the photos at her wedding, but Lesley didn't think so.

 After their wedding, she realized how much she missed photography and desperately wanted to pursue her passion again. And once she realized they both could survive off Nick's salary, she proposed the idea to Nick.

"Nick, can we talk?" Lesley gazed into his eyes as she stood in their bedroom doorway, cradling a cup of coffee.

Nick was waking up for another day in the office. "Sure," Nick replied as he covered his mouth and yawned, "What is it, babe?"

"I'm not happy anymore," Lesley admitted with a hint of sadness in her eyes.

This announcement jolted Nick fully awake. His heart skipped a beat, and his eyes widened.