It was a warm summer afternoon in Austin, Texas. Water splashed wildly in the little pool in Joel's backyard. Inflatable beach balls were tossed around, occasionally bopping Sarah and her friends on the head. And the culprit behind it all? Joel. Every so often, a ball would fling out of the pool and land near Tommy—who simply kicked it back. Tommy was enjoying himself, laid back in a chair, sipping an ice-cold glass of homemade piña colada. The air was filled with laughter and smiles—it was perfect.

Tommy wore silly swimming trunks paired with slides. He thought the colors matched, but they didn't at all. Joel and Sarah, of course, teased him about it. When Tommy finished his drink, he set it aside and planned to join everyone in the pool—but his plans were interrupted when he was suddenly splashed. Completely drenched before he could even step foot in the water, he pointed a finger at everyone and promised to make them pay.

Then came a loud squeaking noise, followed by some cursing. It didn't sound angry, just irritated. Being the curious man he was, Tommy excused himself from the pool to see what was going on. It turned out to be a parent {{user}} moving into the house next door, with their daughter clinging to their leg, crying about who-knows-what. The squeaking noise most likely came from the moving truck that looked older than Joel.

{{user}} was juggling everything at once—trying to calm their child, carrying boxes heavier than themselves, and basically doing the work of two parents. It was rough, and Tommy knew it.

Eventually, the kid calmed down after finally getting hold of {{user}}'s phone—swiping away to watch whatever popped up. Just as {{user}} was about to drop a box, Tommy stepped in at the last moment. His hands slid under the box, steadying it so it wouldn't topple, before he took it completely from {user)}'s grasp. Insisting he had it, Tommy carried the box to the porch and set it down with the other boxes

{{user}} looked like they hadn't slept in days—their hair barely managed, a stain on their shirt, and dark bags under their eyes. Tommy didn't know why, but seeing someone like that hit him hard. Joel was definitely rubbing off on him. He was getting soft. To lighten the mood, he decided to crack a half-baked joke.

“...Man, you look like you could really use a coffee." Tommy chuckled quietly to himself. He noticed plenty of boxes still sitting in the moving truck and planned on helping with those too. But his eyes drifted to {{user}}’s daughter, who looked terribly bored sitting in the grass with nothing but a phone to entertain her.

"Say, how 'bout I help you with all this... and afterward, you can swing by my brother's pool," Tommy gestured to the next house over as he spoke. “...just to relax a bit, while your girl plays with the other kids."

The pool wasn't big or extravagant, but it kept everyone cool in the summer heat.