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"Poolside [Part One]"

     The scent of cheese sifted through the air as I flipped the burger on my new grill. The patty landed with a satisfying sizzle as I gazed over to my wife. She and the kids were playing around in the pool, swimming and laughing and having a good time. It made me smile, made me proud to be a dad.
    After flipping the last couple burgers, I closed the lid of my grill before taking a seat at the pool side by my wife. She wore her golden blonde hair in a bun as a pair of oddly-shaped sunglasses covered her eyes. She was wearing a black and white one-piece swimsuit. I was wearing something simpler, a polyester button up with kaki shorts. We were both sitting on the concrete lining of the pool as our two kids, Marissa and Gordon splashed around.
    Marissa seemed to be dunking Gordon's head under the water with a bit of aggression, prompting her mother to tell her to stop. Marissa let up, Gordon's head returning to the surface. He turned to his sister and began splashing her in the face. They chased each other around the pool a bit more.
    As they played, my wife and I kissed. "Eww!" could be heard in the pool just before us. I shot them a smile and said, "Come on, I can't show your mom a little love?"
    They ignored me and played on.
    "Do you really have to go on that trip tomorrow?" my wife, Becky asked, peeking out at me through the top of her sunglasses.
    I looked down at her with a reassuring smile. "I do, but I'll be back before you even realize I'm gone."
    She continued watching me as I got up to check the grill, a sly smile on her face. "And I'll bring you and the kids back something you'll love, I promise."
    Her eyes rolled before returning her attention to our kids in the pool.
    I stood over the grill, peering over at them, another smile crossing my face. How lucky was I?
    I gripped the lid of the grill and yanked up sharply. The lid immediately shot off the grill and launched up in the air toward the pool. In a panic, I charged toward the lid, trying desperately to catch it in the air, but it kept slipping just out of my reach.
    The lid landed in the pool, safely away from the kids. I let out a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from my forehead. Thankfully, everyone was okay.
    I reached over to lift the lid and the instant my hand touched it, the pool immediately burst into flames that seemed to spread outward from the lid. My wife and I urged the kids out of the pool, reaching for them. But they were crying out in pain, too far into the pool to grab them. I dived in, the chill of the water hitting my instantly. I swam upward and heat scorched through my face, my arms, everything as my skin met the flames. I grabbed Marissa with one arm, Gordon in the other, fighting hard against the intense pain.
    I dragged them out of the pool and onto land. The searing pain of the flames was finally gone. But to my horror, so was my wife...

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