Bull by the Poolside

Elena hadn't used the pool since Marcus left. The water sat still and green, collecting leaves like her marriage had collected disappointments. She watched it from her balcony, nursing lukewarm coffee while the cable guy worked inside her apartment.

"Ma'am, you're gonna need to call the provider," he said, emerging with grease-stained fingers. "This cable's been cut. Someone's been splicing into your line."

Marcus. He'd always been full of bull, but stealing cable after cheating? That felt like a new low.

She signed the work order with trembling hands. The cable guy—twenty-five, tops—looked at her with a mixture of pity and professional distance. She'd been that age once, believing love could survive anything.

That evening, Elena found herself at the pool for the first time in months. The water was stagnant, yes, but the surface reflected the sunset beautifully. She'd come to disconnect something—what, she couldn't say. Maybe she'd intended to finally drain it.

Instead, she sat on the edge and let her legs dangle in the cool water. The bullfrog that had taken up residence in the shallow end croaked at her intrusion.

"You too, huh?" she whispered. "Just squatting in someone else's mess?"

Her phone buzzed. Marcus's name lit up the screen—likely realizing his free cable was gone. She pressed ignore, then power, then dropped the phone into her purse.

The water felt surprisingly good. Elena slipped in fully, clothes and all, and floated on her back watching the first stars appear. The bullfrog continued its song. For the first time in months, she felt something resembling peace.

She'd call the cable company in the morning. She'd drain the pool next weekend. But tonight, she'd just float in the mess and pretend it was exactly where she wanted to be.