“Are you ready?” he asked.

She shook her head. She was never ready for this. For before, or during. After would be okay. After was always okay.

“Have you ever wondered what things would be like if things weren’t like this?”
She sighed. “All the time.”

He finished pouring the rest of the ice into the pool. It was halfway filled at this point, enough for them right now. She stripped to her bathing suit. Biting inside of her cheek, she climbed down into the ice. It was cold, of course. Colder as she moved the tiny pieces aside and proceeded to bury herself, much like everyone in the country was at this point. Unless they had better air conditioning.

She managed to cover her head, hearing him doing the same. “A minute!” he told her. She heard him throw his watch back up.

Her teeth chattered. “Longest minute ever.”

“Better this than otherwise.”

She agreed.

Summer hit, the hottest wave ever. The ice melted very quickly, despite the tent blocking direct sunlight. But in five seconds, it was over. Her sweat vanished in the cool water.

“We survived another summer,” he commented.

“Cheers.”