Niagara Falls, situated on the Niagara River between Canada and the United States, is one of the natural wonders of the world. It ranks alongside South America's Iguazu Falls and Africa's Victoria Falls as one of the world's three great waterfalls. Its majestic power and the vast, rolling mist it generates leave any visitor awestruck.
On the boat beneath the falls, tourists wearing transparent plastic raincoats looked up at the torrents of water cascading down like white ribbons. The thunderous noise of the water crashing onto the surface was close at hand, and the spray filled the air, offering a refreshing coolness that was much appreciated in the summer heat. Everyone on the boat couldn't help but marvel at the incredible power of nature.
"Sweetheart, please don't climb on the railing," her mother's voice came through the roar of the falls.
Catherine, who had been balancing on the railing to reach out and feel the mist, stuck out her tongue and quickly jumped down. "It's fine, Mom."
"It's not fine just because you say so, Catherine. Please don't make me worry," Susan said, trying not to raise her voice but needing to be heard over the roar of the waterfall.
Seeing the stern look on her mother's face, Catherine pretended not to hear and quickly changed the subject. "By the way, where's Dad?"
"At the stern," Susan said with a resigned shrug. "He's on a call."
"I knew it." Catherine shrugged in response and headed towards the stern of the boat.
Vincent was pacing back and forth in the less crowded stern, holding a brand-new Motorola wireless phone to his ear. It was much smaller than the previous models, almost half the size.
Catherine stood behind her father with her arms crossed, waiting for a while. Vincent, absorbed in his conversation, didn't notice her until she dragged out a loud "Dad!" Only then did he realize she was there. He held up two fingers to indicate he'd be just a moment, then moved aside to quickly wrap up his call.
"Hi, sweetie. Having fun?" Vincent asked as he put the phone away and quickly walked over to scoop her up.
"I thought we were on vacation," Catherine said, tilting her head.
"Alright, I apologize, sweetie. I'm sorry. It won't happen again, okay?" Vincent kissed her cheek before putting her down, then saw Susan giving him a look of exasperation.
"Susan, honey, I promise this is the last time," Vincent said earnestly, though even he didn't fully believe it. He had made similar promises several times during the trip.
However, Catherine came to his rescue by pulling him toward the back of the boat, asking to take pictures. Susan, who had more to say, bit her tongue, seeing that their daughter was happy again.
As the boat docked on the Canadian side of the river, the family disembarked. Crossing between the US and Canada is common during a visit to Niagara Falls, and the view from the Canadian side offered a different perspective.
As she gazed at the majestic waterfall from a distance, Catherine suddenly felt an urge to sing. Looking around, she spotted a young man with long hair in his twenties playing a guitar and singing on the roadside. Occasionally, tourists would toss a coin or two into his guitar case.
Catherine walked over, took out a $5 bill, and held it out to him. "Can I use your guitar for a bit?"
The young man stopped playing, surprised, and looked her over with interest before handing her the guitar. "Can you play?"
"Of course!" Though he didn't take the money, Catherine put the $5 in his guitar case, then slung the guitar over her shoulder and tested a few chords. It was a good guitar, and she looked at the young man with newfound respect.
The young man was equally astonished. This ten-year-old girl was not only adorable but seemed to have some skill with the guitar. However, the real surprise came when she started playing. As soon as the vibrant music began, he realized she was playing the acoustic guitar like an electric one. Just as this thought crossed his mind, her singing captured his full attention.
"You know that I'm a crazy bitch
I do what I want when I feel like it
All I wanna do is lose control
Oh, oh
But you don't really give a shit
You go with it, go with it, go with it.
'Cause you're fucking crazy rock'n'roll
Yo-u said 'Hey, what's your name?'
..."
Instead of the expected childish voice, her singing was clear and powerful. It was hard to believe that such a small girl could sing with such energy. The carefree and bold lyrics, combined with the fast pace of the song, had a unique magic that made people want to jump to the rhythm while also listening closely to the story being told. It was contradictory yet captivating.
Tourists gathered around, drawn by her singing. Far from being intimidated, Catherine sang even louder, her voice becoming more perfect. When the song ended, the crowd burst into enthusiastic applause, especially the young men in their twenties who loved the song. In their world, life was meant to be simple and carefree.
The little girl gave a slight bow to the audience, then removed the guitar from her shoulder and handed it back to the now-dazed young man. Such a strong reaction was exactly what she had anticipated. After all, "Smile" is one of Avril Lavigne's most iconic songs, and in her previous life, Catherine had never grown tired of it.
However, she didn't simply copy the song. Due to her mood, she had sped up the tempo by two beats and slightly altered some of the melody and lyrics. Thus, the mid-tempo "Smile" had transformed into an upbeat song in her hands. Catherine's musical talent ensured that the fast-paced version of "Smile" retained its unique charm, making her years of practice worthwhile.
"Catherine, you're being mischievous again," her mother said in a half-reproachful tone, pinching her cheek as Catherine rejoined her parents.
"Come on, Mom, we're on vacation. A little mischief here and there is no big deal," the little girl replied with a cheeky smile.
"I agree," Vincent chimed in, usually siding with his daughter. Faced with this, Susan could only sigh and glance at the crowd that hadn't completely dispersed. "Let's go," she said.
In truth, Catherine wasn't being mischievous but had planned this as a form of release. Despite enjoying this rare and simple family trip, she was still troubled by the rift between her and Jessica. Though she repeatedly told herself not to overthink things, the more she tried not to, the more she worried. She feared doing something inappropriate and losing Jessica forever. Standing under Niagara Falls, she recalled Avril's song "Smile," which inspired her to sing the modified version. Why do things always have to be so complicated?
With her parents by her side, Catherine continued to explore the sights around the falls. Having vented, she steeled herself, reminding herself to keep things simple. She knew a bit about emotional regulation techniques. If worse came to worst, she'd just empty her mind when strong emotions arose. Although she understood that some things couldn't be avoided by not thinking about them, she sometimes chose to ignore certain issues. Was this fortunate or unfortunate?
The afternoon soon arrived, and after exploring both sides of Niagara Falls, the family prepared to take a boat back. The small dock was crowded with waiting tourists. While her parents chatted, the bored little girl wandered from one end of the dock to the other, making sure to stay within her parents' sight as instructed.
Feeling restless, Catherine glanced at the slow-moving boat in the river. An odd sensation of being watched crept over her. This feeling had started after she used "Smile" to vent. It was clear someone was interested in her. Though she was used to being stared at from behind, this person was particularly persistent, having watched her for a long time. Bored, Catherine finally lost her patience. She looked around, then headed towards a less crowded section of the railing. Once there, she pretended to lean over, then suddenly turned around. The person following her was startled and tried to blend into the crowd.
"Don't run!" Catherine shouted, darting forward to block the person's path. The startled follower, a young girl, took a few steps back, scrutinizing Catherine.
The girl was younger than Catherine by three or four years. She had messy golden-brown hair draped over her shoulders, giving her a slightly unkempt yet adorable appearance. Her big, blue-green eyes added to her charm.
Catherine was momentarily captivated by the girl's appearance but quickly snapped out of it. "Who are you, and why have you been following me?" she demanded.
The young girl opened her mouth, hesitated, then finally stammered, "Are you a singer?"
Catherine, hands on her hips, stared at her in confusion before responding, "No."
"Are you being trained by a record company?" the girl asked again.
"No!"
"Are you going to be trained by a record company?"
"No! No!" Catherine, growing impatient, leaned in close, almost touching foreheads. "Hey, kid, what do you want?"
"I love your singing!" the girl said with a bright, passionate smile.
"Really? Thank you," Catherine blinked in surprise.
"Can you teach me?" the girl continued, extending her hand. "I love singing too. My name is Avril Ramona Lavigne!"