Pandora tilted her head, perplexed. “What is a pod?”

Anna rose in a huff, brushed the sand off her bottom with quick slaps, then bent to pick up her surfboard. “I’m going to catch a wave.”

chapter eleven

Joining the pod was more than a promise; it was a bond.

June

LINNEA WAS MARKING days off the calendar. They seemed to breeze by like a spring wind, even as the days lengthened. The news reported a steady increase of people contracting the coronavirus, causing everyone to double down on their isolation.

Linnea’s intimate group of family and friends who made up her quarantine bubble, or pod, was growing. It was time to close ranks. Theirs was a small group comprising four households—Cara, David, and Hope; Julia and Palmer; Linnea, Cooper, and Anna; Emmi, Flo, and John. But with the arrival of Gordon and Pandora, they called a meeting and agreed that these last two would be included.

Gordon was in quarantine up in the loft, and Pandora had just finished her two-week stint of isolation. Both agreed they would abide by the rules and hang out exclusively with the members of the pod and no one else. The agreement was rough water to navigate because everyone had to agree to socialize only with each other and not have interactions with other people. Because of Flo and Hope—the oldest and the youngest, and both compromised—they all understood what was at stake. If someone shopped, or went to work, then social distancing, hand-washing, and masks were nonnegotiable. The effort wasn’t for the one individual, but for the good of the group. Joining the pod was more than a promise; it was a bond.

Tonight they were gathering to welcome a new pod in town—a select group of koi fish.

Linnea, Cooper, and Anna headed out together to Emmi’s garden, Luna in tow. When they reached the gate, they were greeted with hearty calls of welcome as Emmi rushed over to unlatch the bolt. Linnea smiled at the festive mood on this balmy night. The stars overhead competed with a rising moon for attention. Emmi had set fairy lights around the slate patio and made batches of strawberry daiquiris that definitely were giving folks a buzz.

“Come in and take a seat!” Emmi called, ushering them to the circle of chairs near the pond, which she showed off with glowing pride.

Linnea thought how John had built his mother a real gift. The kidney-shaped pond dominated a corner of the garden, transforming it to a lush wonderland. It was bordered with rocks of different sizes, giving it a natural feel, and surrounded with plants. The pièce de résistance, however, was the waterfall. It had John’s signature all over it. Not satisfied with a mere trickle of water, John had created a waterfall that spilled joyfully over the rocks.

“John, it’s a masterpiece,” she exclaimed, drawing near.

“You built this?” Cooper asked disbelievingly.

“Yes,” Emmi exclaimed with a mother’s pride. “John can build anything.”