Amara arrives in the valley just as the last of the afternoon light begins to soften into gold The air is warm and still,
Carrying the scent of wildflowers and distant water For hours,
A gentle unease has been sitting in her chest,
A tight,
Quiet ache she can't quite name And something about this valley seems to call to that ache,
Asking it to soften,
Even just a little A narrow trail curves through low grasses,
Leading her deeper into the sheltered land The light grows warmer with every step,
Brushing her skin like a soft,
Steady hand She follows the sound of water,
Not rushing water,
Not a river or a fall,
But the slow,
Quiet lapping of something calm and deep The path bends once more,
And she sees it A natural pool lies in the center of the valley,
Perfectly round,
Fed by an underground spring Its surface glows with warm,
Amber light,
As though the earth beneath it holds a quiet fire,
Steady and old Smooth stones circle the pool,
Pool reeds sway gently around the edges The whole place feels tucked away,
Protected,
Safe Amara steps closer,
The air here feels different,
Warmer,
Thicker,
As though holding the memory of sunlight Her breath deepens naturally,
Settling low in her belly She kneels near the water,
It glows softly,
Ripples drifting lazily across the surface The glow seems to reach toward her,
Like warmth rising to meet her skin Without thinking,
She slips off her shoes and lowers her feet into the water Warmth envelops her instantly,
It spreads up her ankles,
Into her calves,
Loosening something she hadn't realized was clenched The pool hums softly,
A quiet,
Resonant sound,
As if somewhere deep within the earth,
Something ancient is breathing with her She closes her eyes,
Her hum sinks with her heartbeat,
Steady and soft Each pulse feels like a reminder,
You are here,
You are safe,
You can soften When she opens her eyes again,
She notices a narrow shelf of smooth stone,
Leading gently downward into the pool It looks like a natural invitation,
A place meant for sinking into the warm glow She steps deeper,
The water rises slowly past her shins,
Her knees,
Her hips With each inch,
Warmth sinks into her muscles,
Untangling tensions woven through her body from days,
Or weeks,
Or perhaps years of trying so hard When the water reaches her ribs,
She lets out a long,
Rimmering sigh she didn't mean to hold in The pool holds her,
She lowers herself fully until she is floating,
The warm glow lifting her just enough that her limbs feel weightless The water cradles the curve of her back,
Her arms drifting loosely at her sides,
Her legs buoyed by gentle ripples Above her,
The sky has shifted to soft dusk,
Pale lavender deepening to blue Few early stars appear,
She floats,
Her breath moves,
And slowly,
The ache in her chest unravels The water is warmest at her heart,
She can feel it,
The temperature rising subtly there as though the pool recognises the place inside her that needs the most gentleness A soft wave of warmth spreads outward from her chest,
Across her collarbones,
Down her arms,
Along her ribs,
Into her belly,
Her jaw loosens,
Her throat feels freer,
A quiet pressure behind her eyes softens into nothing Memories drift into her mind,
Moments when she felt small,
Or not enough,
Or too much Old words she once believed,
Expectations she carried like heavy stones The pool doesn't rush them away,
It simply holds her until each memory floats up,
Meets the warmth,
And dissolves like a leaf melting into still water She realises she doesn't have to fight the memories,
She only has to let them be held Warmth continues to rise gently around her,
Not hot,
Not overwhelming,
Just soothing,
Inviting,
Soft She breathes in,
And her chest expands easily,
She breathes out,
And her whole body sinks just a little deeper into the water's embrace Amara closes her eyes again,
Behind her eyelids the glow of the pool dances in soft amber swirls They move slowly,
Drifting like warm light through a quiet room Every swirl seems to whisper,
You are enough,
You are enough,
You are enough Not as a mantra,
Not forced,
But as a truth the water knows and simply shares Her fingers float,
The tips soften,
Her shoulders drift down,
Her belly loosens,
Her legs feel pleasantly heavy in the water She drifts until she can no longer feel the boundary between her body and the pool,
Only warmth,
Only softness Night deepens above her,
Stars gathering in gentle clusters,
A breeze brushes her cheeks,
Cool and tender,
Balancing the warmth below The contrast feels perfect,
She floats for a long time,
Minutes stretching softly into something beyond time Eventually her body guides her upward,
Her feet find the stone shelf beneath her,
She rises slowly,
Water sliding down her skin in long warm lines Her chest feels open,
Her mind quiet,
Her heart warm in a way that feels unfamiliar but deeply right She steps out of the pool,
The air wraps around her calmly as though holding the warmth she carries now from within Soft moss cushions her feet as she walks back toward the path,
The valley feels different now,
Or perhaps she feels different within it Lighter,
Softer,
As she takes one last look at the glowing pool,
She inhales gently And on her exhale,
She feels something deep inside her settle,
A quiet return,
A quiet remembering,
A quiet steady knowing She can meet herself with softness,
She can be held,
She can rest within her own worth And as she leaves the valley,
The warmth of the hardwood pool travels with her Long after the night has folded softly around her,
Long after her footsteps fade into the dark,
Long after she finds her way home and steps back into the rhythm of her life
