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Luke. I’m going to look for a secluded spot by one of the rivers.” She drove slowly, pulling over to let a couple of irritated drivers pass. “These mountains are incredible. I’ll find a place that you would have loved.”
    The road twisted to the right and Sarah paused at the end of a one-way bridge. Several cars were crossing towards her and she used the time to gaze at the intertwined mass of silvery streams, trickling in places, surging across boulders in others. Far above the road, water collected in dancing waterfalls, tumbling from sheer cliffs. She followed one with her eyes, a voluminous fall cascading through thick vegetation. “I wonder if that’s accessible from the road?”
    A car honked behind her; she let the clutch out and drove carefully across the narrow bridge before pulling over to let the traffic pass. Then, driving slowly, she kept her eyes on the waterfall while scanning the roadside for a break in the trees. About a kilometre down the road, she spotted an opening and a small sign pointing to Crystal Falls. She indicated right and followed the narrow strip of tar as it led through a leafy tunnel to a circular parking area.
    A silver Nissan was nestled under the trees. Don’t be silly, she scolded herself as fear told her to turn round and go. Even so, she let the car run for another couple of minutes before switching it off. The engine ticked, cooling and settling and still no one appeared . This is New Zealand, she reminded herself. The car belongs to a tourist. I haven’t come all this way to turn round and go back .
    She pulled the keys out of the ignition and shrugged her back pack on, making sure her pepper spray was in her pocket. Then she locked the car before heading to the trail that led up to the waterfall.
    It was like a moist tunnel encircled with lush ferns, thick bushes and wiry trees. Little sunlight penetrated, and she could hear the waterfall roaring in the distance. The sign at the bottom said it was a twenty-minute climb, that the waterfall was the highest in the region and fed into the Waimakariri River. Sarah took her time, not wanting to slip on the damp path. These were also her last moments with Luke, and she wanted to make them special, create a memory to treasure forever.
    It was a rude shock when she turned a corner in the path and came face to face with a man.
    “How’re ya doing?”
    Blood rushed through her ears, panic rising as her mind manufactured impossible scenes. Her voice came out scratchy. “Well, thank you.”
    “Have you seen the falls before?”
    “No, I haven’t.”
    “They’re magnificent. Well worth the climb.” He looked directly at her when she didn’t respond. “Are you alright?”
    Sarah’s heart rate slowed somewhat. He didn’t look dangerous. In fact, he looked rather good. About six foot tall, he had narrow hips, a broad chest and muscled arms beneath a tight fitting T-shirt. His hair was the colour of sun-ripened wheat and curled over his ears.
    “I’m fine, thank you.”
    “Sure?”
    “Yes.”
    He lifted a hand in farewell as she stepped past him. “Enjoy the walk.”
    Come on. He’s harmless .
    The track steepened, and she found herself grasping bushes and branches to get some traction. Eight months of sitting at home had left her unfit. After several rests, she could tell by the misty air and loud roar that she was nearing the falls. Breathless, she pushed through some hanging fronds and came out on the edge of a pool. The water seemed to be coming from a cavity in the rock a few metres above her head, spraying diamonds through dappled sunlight before landing in the pool. From there, it cascaded into another pool before hurtling down the mountain side.
    She knelt and dipped her hand into the water, understanding where the name had come from. It was like liquid crystal, pure and icy. She leaned her back against a tree and carefully took Luke’s ashes out of her backpack. It was 259 days since her life had shattered into