Pool accessories had appeared from somewhere. My sister drifted by on a floatie, her head tilted back and eyes closed, as if she were sunning herself. It was probably to show off the lines of her body in her blue bikini.
Klara and Elliot drifted to the deeper middle of the pool, each clutching a pool noodle and softly kicking. Evgenia stood between them and me, bridging the gap.
“So what did you think of my mother’s political luncheon? I hear you crashed it,” Klara asked Elliot, her voice reverberating so it was like we were all in on the conversation.
“I’m not one to pass up free food.” Elliot shrugged.
“What did she talk about? Tell me everything.”
“She had a lot to say about the usefulness measure, promising she was already at work on a solution. And then she went on and on about the liars in Freiheit.”
“Why did she call them liars?” Klara asked at the same time I jumped in with “What did she say she was doing about the usefulness measure?”
I wondered what my aunt was going to do after turning down my water-filtration idea. The Scandinavian served no real purpose other than providing luxury-vacation accommodations.
Elliot looked between us both, then locked on me. He paddled closer as he spoke. “She was vague in the way only politicians can be. Just said she was having tough conversations with key people and that she’d have a solution by the vote.” Then he answered Klara, who’d followed him like an obedient puppy. “And she claims Freiheit faked all those images. That they’re lying about starvation and death in the fleet.”
“Wow, your mom is ice-cold,” Evgenia said. “It’s definitely real. Elliot and I have seen it. Allowing the rich to continue their delusion isn’t helping anyone.”
It was the most political thing I had ever heard Evgenia utter. She and Elliot exchanged a loaded glance. Carina had sat up on her floatie and was now watching the rest of us, feigning interest.
“I wouldn’t call her ice-cold.” Klara jumped to her mother’s defense. “She’s trying to prevent panic.”
“This is why I don’t trust politicians,” Evgenia said with a sniff, wading away from them and over toward me.
“If she were smart, she’d acknowledge Freiheit, what they showed us, and offer to help. Put the Scandinavian on rations. Allow open immigration,” I said. “We should be ashamed of the way we live while others suffer.” My voice rang out, echoed against silence. Elliot’s eyes bored into me like lasers; he assessed me, studied me for bullshit. He found none. I meant it, every single word.
“Maybe you should run.” Evgenia joined me on the side of the pool, nudging me in the shoulder as she sat down.
“Leo’s not political.” My sister puffed up her chest proudly that she finally could contribute.
“Not usually,” Elliot said quietly. I squirmed under his heady gaze.
“Those ideas are well and good, but not at all practical,” Klara snapped, breaking the spell. “This is why my side of the family is in charge. You and yours are hopeless dreamers. My mother and I understand reality.”
“Really? Then why hasn’t she come to me about my water-filtration system since the usefulness measure was announced? I could save you all, but she’s too snobby and stubborn to even consider it.”
“No one wants your pee device, Leo. And she doesn’t need it. Mother has other plans.” Perhaps subconsciously, Klara’s eyes flitted over to Elliot, just for a second. Of course. Klara was gunning for Elliot, to marry him for his whiskey ship. If the Scandinavian produced alcohol, we’d be useful.
For an awkward moment, no one spoke. There was just the sound of water lapping gently at the pool’s edges. Then came the loud splash of Carina sliding off her floatie.
“I’m bored. Let’s play Marco Polo!”
If only my sister could have seen the death glare I threw at her back.
“Ooh, yes! I call ‘it’ first!” Klara trilled, already swimming to the middle of the pool to take position.
Evgenia jumped in, signaling her participation, while Elliot shrugged tacit approval. Fine, I would play—I waded in slowly and clung close to the wall while Klara closed her eyes and counted to twenty. Everyone else made a mad splash-and-dash for other parts of the pool. I stayed put.
Klara shouted a musical “Marco!” to which everyone else responded with “Polo!” With her eyes squinched firmly shut, my cousin tilted her head in my direction.
“Leo, you have to play! I didn’t hear you. Marco!”
With a groan, I joined in on the chorus of “Polos.” My cousin waded in my direction. I moved along the wall, closer to Evgenia. Elliot and Carina were in the deep end, playing smart. It took only a few more calls and responses before Klara caught me with a laugh.
“You’re so easy because you never leave the shallow end! You’re it.”
I gritted my teeth and threw a false smile before walking with baby steps closer to the middle of the pool. I wouldn’t give my cousin the satisfaction of my flouncing out of the pool, swearing off the stupid game. I wrenched my eyes closed and started a loud countdown, splashing roaring in my ears.
The first “Polo” rang in my ears, the musical cacophony bouncing off tile and glass. I called out again, parsing the sound to pinpoint the higher register coming from the right, the lower from my left. The girls in the deep end, and Elliot in the shallows. There was no point bothering with the girls. No way was I swimming into the deep end with my eyes closed. Elliot had to be my quarry.
I called out again, warm reassurance spreading through me when his voice position did not change. Was he staying put for me? I moved toward the sound of his voice, swallowing past the lump that had suddenly formed in my throat.
A few more “Marco Polos” and I had to be within feet of him. I zombie-walked with my arms floating in front of me, fingers feeling for his arm. I held my breath in anticipation of the catch, reminded that games like this could be fun. I could have fun.
It had gone quiet, too quiet. All I could pick out was the low burble of water and Elliot’s breathing somewhere near.
“Marco?” I called out feebly.
“Polo.” His voice was low, husky. And right in front of me. I didn’t move, so he must have. My fingers grazed skin, Elliot’s heartbeat thumping against my fingertips.
“You’re it,” I said softly. I didn’t dare open my eyes, break the spell. I flattened my palm against his chest. My breath caught in my throat as I felt his fingers whisper against my hip under the water. I opened my eyes to drown in his.
“Elliot’s turn!” Klara shouted, followed by a splash and the sound of strenuous swimming. Elliot flinched away, and then it was over.
Elliot counted from the middle of the pool while everyone swam into position. I noted that the others chose to congregate in the shallow end this turn. I retreated over to the stairs, needing very much to sit for a while. To my surprise, Evgenia joined me, keeping her voice nice and low between calls and responses.
“Are you afraid of the deep end or something?”
I nodded. Evgenia cursed under her breath.
“Klara told us all to go into the deep end, make it hard for you. I didn’t know . . . I’m sorry, Leo.”