
Everyone plunged into the pool, mostly in their underwear or swimsuits. For some, like Kyle, Amanda, Carl, and Lindsay, this was the tenth time. Others, like KJ, Dara, Mia, and Bailey, were first-timers. And a few – Levi, Ben, and, honestly, Sabrina – probably hoped it would be their last. It was supposed to mark an ending – the summer, the season – but it felt like something else entirely. It wasn’t about revisiting the past, but more like standing on the edge of an unknown future. It felt like that concert you went to just before everything shut down, or a swing dance on the eve of disaster, or a final dinner with a loved one before they were gone. It wasn’t a transition from good to bad, but from bad to worse – a feeling of anxious uncertainty, like slowly losing hope. Despite the splashing, kissing, and carefree fun, I’ve never felt so deeply sad, surrounded by empty cans and broken promises in that backyard.