I think the Amalienbad is the most beautiful building I have ever seen. I don’t know which I like more: the perfect symmetry of the changing cubicles, layered in rows, one above the other; the deep, sparkling blue of the water; the light fanning through the windows in the domed ceiling – or the variety of swimming costumes all around me!

The boys are busy lining up for their turn on the diving board and I’m sitting on the side of the pool, feet dangling in the water, watching a group of older girls near me. One of them has a costume that looks as if it’s made from white silk. The other has one with the thinnest shoulder straps and large printed flowers all over it.

I feel frumpy in my plain, black costume.

‘Elsa! Elsa!’ Leo is calling to me. He’s next on the diving board. ‘Watch me!’

Turning from the girls, I watch as he spreads his arms out and, without seeming to make any effort, arcs perfectly into the water. He swims underwater all the way to me and breaks the surface, wiping his hair off his face. ‘How did I do?’ he asks, grinning as he treads water in front of me.

‘Hmmm. Maybe seven out of ten!’

‘Seven! Meanie!’ Leo replies and splashes my legs. ‘Come on,’ he says, grabbing my feet. ‘Get in!’

‘Hey! My turn!’ Max calls.

I slide into the water and we both cling to the side as we watch Max walk to the end of the board. He looks so small compared to the boys waiting behind him and I see them looking at him and sniggering. My heart fills with pain for him – but he hasn’t noticed the boys. He’s too busy concentrating on his dive.

Max raises his hands in perfect straight lines above his head, slowly bends his knees, crouches forward and…

SPLASH!

He bellyflops into the water. The boys behind him don’t even hide their laughter now. Luckily Max is still underwater, and by the time he reaches us they’ve moved on to their own dives.

‘Ten out of ten!’ I say as he reaches us and grabs the side of the pool.

‘You’re just being kind,’ Max says.

‘No. It was great.’ Leo agrees with me so quickly that I’m sure he must have seen the older boys laughing too. Then he pulls himself out of the water and grabs a ball from the benches on the side. ‘Here, let’s play with this.’

We swim to a quiet part of the pool and throw the ball between us, racing to be the one to catch it, laughing each time one of us misses it and takes a dunking, playing dolphin rides and bulldogs and every other game we manage to squeeze into our hour.

Too soon, someone blows a whistle and it’s our turn to get out.