The riverside apartment.

September in Millbrook Falls can be a frustrating time to get dressed. In the mornings and evenings, the air is cool and crisp, but the afternoons are still hot. It’s hard to know what to wear. Put on layers if you leave the house early and take them off as the day heats up. If you live or have lived near a river, you're familiar with the humidity it can bring. Millbrook Falls is no different.

Millbrook Falls took its name from the waterfalls on the Millbrook River. The first settlers thought this was a better name than something like "Millbrook Dawn."

The town now has a population of about 12,000 people. It used to be a factory town, but now its economy relies on a mix of small businesses, a few factories, and people who commute to other cities for work.

Because it's a medium-sized town, it lacks the charm of a cosy, tight-knit community or the fast pace of a big city. The one thing everyone in town, who often calls it "Brookfalls," agrees on is that the river has always been a little strange. The town's motto is "Where Waters Meet Opportunity," but some people who have seen this strange thing happen won't talk about what they experienced. Others have tried to share their stories but failed, so people stopped talking about it a long time ago.

The mill-workers were closest to the river, so many of them experienced the strange events firsthand. Take old Frank Leblanc, for example. A French Canadian man went out to smoke a cigarette during his lunch break and never returned. This happened back when people didn't know smoking was so bad for their health.

People said he was seeing another man's wife. The husband, Vincent "Vinny" Marcello, killed him that day to stop the affair. But that was one of the strange cases surrounding Brook Falls' history before the mill closed for good.

The Hartwell Textile Mill operated from 1892 to 1978, processing cotton and wool for the garment industry in nearby big cities. In its heyday, Edmund Hartwell employed around 300 people who kept the machinery running. After his death, workers swore they saw him wandering the machinery area and office corridors during the night shift.

After three generations, the Hartwell Textile Mill closed its doors for good in 1978. It couldn't compete with new, cheaper overseas technology and manufacturing. Two years before the mill opened, in 1890, Edmund Hartwell convinced the city council to build a dam on the river.

People didn't know that the new river path would cross the sacred burial grounds of the Nibish-Sipu tribe. Their leader, Joseph Wampanoag, warned the entire town that such a large-scale desecration could have a lasting impact on the town for generations to come.

The name Nibish-Sipu suggests the water "holds onto" or "keeps" things - memories, feelings, moments of decision.

The fertile land was in proximity to the river, and there the white men built the first settlement.,

The first settlers aimed to aid and instruct the Nibish-Sipu, who were eager to learn

Over time, the two groups learned to live together, while the Nibish-Sipu kept apart from the townspeople until the Dam completion.

"Connor man, are you listening to me?"?.

"How could this happen to me?" muttered Connor Walsh to himself. He was closing his uncle's repair shop and thinking about everything going on in his life. He thought of the word "experiences."

“Connor, you need to come back to the present. Should I wait for you to close the shop?”.

“Are you listening to me?”.

“Never mind, I will see you tomorrow, cousin”, said Toby, leaving the shop keys over the counter.

At 26, he thought these kinds of concerns were for the future, not for today or right now. Yet, the present was unfolding, and he had to choose which would impact his and Lily's future.

Working as a mechanic in a small to medium-sized town like this didn't seem promising. If the sign had read "Brennan and Nephew," at least that would have been a step in the right direction.

Back to reality, his main concern is their financial situation. Living on a tight budget, Lily's part-time job provided little relief. provided little

The entire picture wasn't pretty.

Weeks ago, they celebrated their second anniversary, and days ago, Lily announced she was pregnant. It's been some sleepless nights for Connor.

"I love her to bits, he considered, but how are we gonna do all the things with this amount of money we have?"

Connor grabs the keys on top of the counter and gets going toward the door.

The metal sliding door touched the ground with a creak and a thud. "You can't change destiny if you aren't at least inclined to," Connor whispered to himself, then a key clicked in the metal lock door.

After double-checking the door, Connor shuffled his pockets to confirm he had grabbed everything

It was time to get into his old Volkswagen Golf and drive to his even older building on Sycamore Street. The town seemed frozen in time, with no new developments. The local people didn't notice, but all the buildings were getting old since no new residents were moving in anymore. Those who could sell their properties and move away did that. Those who couldn't stayed behind, living their lives as best they could.

Connor checked his watch; it read 7:45 PM. He knew the drive from the shop to his apartment was only 20 minutes and wondered what Lily might make for dinner.

"Beef casserole," he said with a chuckle, as if talking to an imaginary friend.

He pulled his phone from his jeans pocket and dialled Lily's number. She answered after two or three rings.

"Hello, Connor?" she said.

"Hey, love, yeah, it's me. I'll be home in about 20 minutes. Depends on traffic, okay?"

"Alright, I'm preparing pea soup with croutons, the way you like it."

He laughed out loud. "I missed this."

"What are you laughing at?" Lily asked.

"Nothing! I thought you'd be making something different."

"Like what?" she said.

"Beef casserole, but I was way off."

"Okay, you silly man, hang up and come home for your not-beef-casserole dinner."

They both laughed at the same time.

Arriving on Sycamore Street, Connor found a parking spot across from his building, under a lamppost. The sickly orange glow made the parked cars look like something out of a horror movie, he thought, as he crossed the road toward Sycamore Terrace, or "the terrace" as the tenants called it.

He glanced back at the low wall that stretched the length of the street, a barrier meant to hide the murky, forgotten waters of old Sorrow Creek.

Getting inside the building, it was time to face the stairs because the lift didn't work. But after all, it was good to get some exercise before dinner. From his apartment, they had a perfect view of the river. On a full moon night like this, the occasion called for an apéritif on the balcony to take in the view.

While walking to the 5th floor, it came to Connor's mind how they met.

Two and a half years ago, at McKinnon's Books, he thought, where Maya works. Connor came in looking for a car repair manual. Maya couldn't find what he needed, but she spent twenty minutes helping him look. She even offered to order the right manual for him.

Connor came back the next week to get his manual. Then he came back again, saying he needed another one. By the third week, Maya smiled and said, "You know there's a coffee shop next door, right? You don't have to keep buying car books to talk to me."

---

Arriving at his door, he felt a mix of sadness and nostalgia. He rang the doorbell to tease Lily. He knew she wouldn't open the door without checking the peephole first. He did this all the time, and though she knew, she pretended not to know who it was to make him happy. The door creaked open, and Connor saw the biggest smile he'd seen all day.

---

"Hey, babe, we were waiting for you," Lily said, holding her small belly with both hands.

"Hi there," he answered, stepping forward to kiss her.

"I'm going to take a shower, and then we can have dinner. Or instead, we can drink some of that old Prosecco from the fridge."

"Connor, this is not a good idea."

"Why, Lily? You're only a few weeks pregnant. It won't do the baby any harm."

"The problem isn't the alcohol; the problem is that half-bottle has been in the fridge for at least a month."

"Go have your shower, and then we'll open two new beers instead."

"Okay," Connor replied, looking at her and holding both her cheeks.

---

Sometime later, Connor joined Lily on the balcony. The full moon lit up the river. He was holding her when he noticed something strange on the water. Far away, he saw people dancing in circles, moving as if in a trance. They were floating on the river, but then they moved toward the shore. As they reached the bank, he could see what looked like a few tepees.

Connor’s heart skipped a beat. He blinked, rubbing his eyes. "Lily, do you see that?" he whispered, his voice tight. Lily looked, her smile gone as she narrowed her eyes into the pale light. "See what?" she asked, confused. "The river... the people," he stammered, pointing a shaking finger. But all she could see was the slow river, the empty banks, and the faint city lights far away.

Lily set two plates on their small kitchen table. The pea and crouton soup was one of her dishes that Connor loved. He sat down across from her, but he wasn't eating. He kept moving the food on his plate.

"Connor," Lily said. "We need to talk."

He looked up at her. His eyes looked tired and worried.

"About what?" he asked, even though they both knew.

"About the baby. About us. You've been acting strange for weeks now."

Connor put down his fork. He ran his hands through his hair, the way he always did when he was nervous.

"Lily, I..." He stopped. Started again. "I don't know if I'm ready for this."

"Ready for what? The baby?"

"For any of it. Look at this place." He waved his hand around their tiny kitchen. "We can hardly pay rent. You work part time at a bookstore. I fix cars for my uncle. How are we supposed to take care of a baby?"

Maya felt her stomach tighten. "We'll figure it out. People do it all the time."

"What if we don't? What if I mess this up?" Connor's voice got louder.

"How do you know?" Connor stood up from the table.

Lily stared at him. She could feel tears starting in her eyes.

"So what are you saying?" she asked.

Connor looked at the floor. "I'm saying we should think about this. Think about it. We're young. We could wait a few years. Get better jobs. Save some money."

"Wait for what? I'm already pregnant, Connor."

"There are... options," he said. "We don't have to..."

Lily felt like he had slapped her. She put her hand on her belly, where their baby was growing.

"Options?" she repeated.

"I'm saying we could wait. Have kids when we're ready. When we can actually take care of them."

She stood up fast, her chair scraping against the floor.

"I can't believe you said that." Her voice was shaking. "This isn't some problem we need to fix, Connor. This is our baby."

"Lily, please. Think about it. Think about what's best for everyone."

"I am thinking about it. Every day. About teaching our child to read. About Christmas mornings and first steps and bedtime stories." Tears were running down her face now. "What do you think about?"

Connor stared at her for a moment

"So your solution is not to try at all?"

Connor didn't answer. He stood there looking lost and scared.

Lily wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm going to bed."

She left him standing in the kitchen and walked to their bedroom. Behind her, she could hear him cleaning up the dishes they hadn't touched.

Outside their window, Sorrow Creek was running higher than usual. The sound of water rushing over the old dam filled the night air, like the creek was trying to tell them something they weren't ready to hear.

She lay in bed listening to Connor move around the apartment. She put her hand on her belly and fell asleep.

In the kitchen, Connor sat at the table with his head in his hands. He wanted to go to her, to say he was sorry, to say he would try harder.

The sound of the creek got louder as the night went on, like it was calling to both of them. Like it was waiting for something to happen.

The sound of Sorrow Creek rushing past their window was louder than usual. It was the full moon or the magic in its current carried.

At exactly 11:47 PM, something shifted in the night. The creek's sound grew stronger, like a heartbeat. Lily and Connor both stirred in their sleep, but neither woke up.

The old stories were true. Sorrow Creek could hold more than water.

---

Lily opened her eyes first. Sunlight was coming through their bedroom window. But something felt wrong. Different.

She sat up and immediately felt Connor's thoughts flooding her mind. His fear of money. His love for her was so strong it hurt. And underneath it all, a deep shame that he had suggested ending their pregnancy.

He didn't mean it, she realised. He's scared.

Across the bed, Connor was waking up too. But when he opened his eyes, Lily's thoughts filled his head. Her excited about their baby. The way she already loved this little person growing inside her. How much his words had hurt her last night.

And then he felt something else - a gentle flutter in his belly. The baby is moving.

Connor gasped and put his hands on his stomach. Even though it was his own body, he could feel what Lily felt every day. Their child, alive and growing, depended on them.

"Lily?" he whispered.

She looked at him with tears in her eyes. "I can feel how scared you are. About everything."

"I can feel the baby," Connor said, wonder in his voice. "I can feel how much you love them already."

They stared at each other across their small bed, finally understanding.

"You will not fail us." She knew it was true now because she could feel Connor's heart the way he felt it.

Connor's eyes filled with tears. "I felt how much I hurt you last night. Maya, I'm so sorry. I don't want to end the pregnancy.

"We will mess some things up," she said. "But we'll figure it out together."

Connor reached for her hand. "I want this baby. I want our family."

They held each other as the morning light grew stronger. Outside, Sorrow Creek had returned to its normal level, flowing past their window.

---

That night, they went to sleep embracing each other. When they woke up the next morning, their minds were their own again. But they remembered everything - how the other person felt, what love looked like from the inside.

Connor never mentioned leaving again. Instead, he started reading Maya's pregnancy books. He painted the apartment and the nursery in a pale yellow. He saved money the best he could, commuting instead of driving and preparing lunch at home.

When Lily felt sick in the mornings, Connor made her tea and toast. Lily showed him their budget and all the ways they could make it work.

Seven months later, their daughter was born. They named her River Chen Walsh.

Connor held her for the first time in the hospital room and whispered, "I'm going to take good care of you. I promise."

Lily watched him with their baby and knew the promise was real. The creek had shown them both what they needed to see -each other's fears, but each other's love as well.

The river might change your life for the better, or it might make you disappear completely. The choice is yours.