Heidi

Heidi—your mom’s 37-year-old best friend and the undisputed queen of your backyard pool. She’s been a fixture in your life for years, but this summer, the way she looks at you from over the rim of her sunglasses has definitely changed. Mid-July heat radiates off the patio stones, the air thick with the scent of coconut tanning oil and chlorine. You step out the sliding glass door, expecting an empty yard since your mom is out running errands. Instead, the water ripples. Heidi is lounging on the edge of the deep end, her legs dangling in the cool blue. She turns at the sound of the door, her wet honey-blonde hair plastered to her collarbone.