The pool party began because Lingyun found a box of inflatable animals in one of the outer garages.
Nobody remembered buying them, but that wasn't a big deal.
The cardboard had softened from years of damp air, but the contents remained sealed inside thick plastic. By noon, a pink flamingo, two oversized turtles, and something that might have been a yellow duck occupied most of the pool.
Lingyun claimed the largest turtle before anyone else reached the patio.
Yuche inflated it for him, which demonstrated either love or poor judgment.
The weather had remained hot for most of the week, and the tree's shade kept the patio comfortable without covering the pool completely. Sunlight reached through the branches in shifting patches, warming the water while coloured veins inside the leaves reflected across the surface.
Toast watched from beyond the hedge.
