The cool water soothed her. She had to get out of the stifling heat, and the stifling company. Why she had agreed to this trip she would never know, but he had insisted.

'It will be good for us,' he said.

No, it won't, she thought. It will be sheer torture, because we both know we're flogging this horse beyond it's natural lifespan. But she packed anyway, not realising that lying beside his sweaty body would be the final nail.

She floated for a while, staring at the stars. They were bright in the cobalt-blue sky, pin prinks of brightness mocking her dark thoughts. The sun would rise soon, and the oppressive heat would lift. The heaviness in her heart would stay, though.

She couldn't wait to get home. To ease her pain, she thought about leaving, and imagined the joy of her new life. In the water, she felt lighter.