She was lounging in a deck chair, wearing a tank top with her pant cuffs rolled up around her calves. The stereo was playing at full volume, and she sang along just as loudly. Sunlight glistened on the light sheen of sweat the full heat of day had drawn from her body. Logan watched from the back door, arms crossed over his chest.

She tilted her head back, red and silver highlights shining among the dark brown and white of her hair. Her eyes were closed, and Logan knew she identified with something in the song playing. He could feel the emotion pouring from her, remembered what it had felt like to pour himself into her, and knew that's what feeling something strongly feels like.

The song came to end, the last few sultry notes fading away, and Marie reached over, pressed something on the stereo, and the song started over again.

"Birds flying high, you know how I feel..."

Three years ago Logan had found himself stopping his truck in the middle of a road that headed nowhere to let a girl crawl into the cab with him and eat all his beef jerky. She'd looked at him fearlessly, knowingly, and mocked his accommodations and his name.

He'd liked her instantly.

"Sun in the sky, you know how I feel..."

The past three years had been an exercise in sharing his life, preparation for what he'd seen in her eyes when she'd told him her name was Marie. They'd both known they'd end up tangled together, physically and emotionally, lost in each other, eventually. She'd been patient and forgiving, waiting for him.

And he figured it was time.

"Reeds driftin' on by, you know how I feel..."

Logan opened the back door and stepped out into summer heat. He wore jeans and a long sleeved shirt, but he didn't feel their weight. Marie looked up at him as he moved to stand by the foot of her chair. She waited for him to say something, mouthing the song as it continued to play. Logan watched and said nothing. Her lips curved slowly, recognition shining through, changing her face from something beautiful to something not meant to be found on Earth.

"It's a new dawn, it's a new day," she sang at him, "it's a new life for me, and I'm feeling good."

Logan smiled, reaching out and tugging her up out of the lounge chair and into his arms. Her arms slid around his waist, fingers twisting in his shirt, her hips shifting against his in promise. Logan pulled the scarf from her hair and slid it over her lips before kissing her.

She pulled back when she was breathless, still clutching tightly to his shirt and letting his body hold her up. She smiled, that brilliantness from earlier back.

"It's a new life for me, and I'm feeling good," she sang, softly this time, a whisper of emotion, her lips brushing against his. Logan closed his eyes and pressed his mouth to hers again, a feeling too wild to be called happiness swelling in his chest.

---

Birds flying high, you know how I feel.
Sun in the sky, you know how I feel.
Reeds driftin' on by, you know how I feel.

It's a new dawn,
It's a new day,
It's a new life
For me,
And I'm feeling good.

Fish in the sea, you know how I feel.
River running free, you know how I feel.
Blossom in the tree, you know how I feel.

It's a new dawn,
It's a new day,
It's a new life
For me,
And I'm feeling good.

Dragonfly out in the sun, you know what I mean, don't you know.
Butterflies all havin' fun, you know what I mean.
Sleep in peace when day is done,
That's what I mean.

And this old world is a new world
And a bold world
For me.

Stars when you shine, you know how I feel.
Scent of the pine, you know how I feel.
Oh, freedom is mine
And I know how I feel.