Lacy screamed the entire way down, gripping my hand like a vice. After what seemed like ages, we finally plunged into the dark water below. I resurfaced as a jolt ran through me from the unexpected chill, leaving my body covered in goosebumps. There was a brief moment of panic when I opened my eyes and didn't see my sister, but it quickly subsided when she emerged a few seconds after me.

She gasped for air and I felt a smack on my arm. “You promised it would be warm!”

“I guess spring is a little too early for cliff diving,” I said with a sheepish laugh, trying to get lake water out of my ears. “Come on, it'll be warmer out here.”

I towed my sister to the middle of our little alcove and scanned the trees for signs of life. While we weren't far from our family’s summer lakehouse, this wasn’t our land. So we were technically trespassing. The cliffs were a two mile trek through dense, unmarked trails. It was impossible to make it into the alcove from the main lake, so we were the only ones crazy enough to come out here. Even though we never saw another soul in this secluded area, I was still cautious.

I assured my sister that we were alone and felt the initial fear and exhilaration between us mellow into serenity. We floated side by side, taking in the blue sky, the tranquility of lapping water, and the melody of birdsong. It definitely was a little too early in the year to be out here. The water needed a few weeks to catch up to the ambient temperature, but I managed to convince my sister to join me in the excursion. This was also the first time I managed to talk her into jumping with me.

“A lot quicker than hiking down, huh?” I questioned, playfully splashing water at Lacy.

She rolled her eyes. “I guess so.”

“I told you we wouldn't hit the rocks.”

“You also told me it would be warm,” she said with a scowl.

“In my defense, it normally is by now.” I was waiting for her facade to drop. “Well? What did you think?”

She looked up at the jagged, forty-foot cliff we jumped from then looked back at me.

“I kind of want to do it again.”

A daredevil grin spread across my face as I grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the water to the top of the cliffs. I noticed that Lacy was no longer wide-eyed and reluctant, so I pulled her to the edge for another risky jump.