Fever Dream

by Samanta Schweblin

I’m wondering whether what happened to Carla could happen to me. I always imagine the worst-case scenario. Right now, for instance, I’m calculating how long it would take me to jump out of the car and reach Nina if she suddenly ran and leapt into the pool. I call it the “rescue distance”: that’s what I’ve named the variable distance separating me from my daughter, and I spend half the day calculating it, though I always risk more than I should.

nap so late is a bad business, later she has trouble falling asleep at night. But we’re on vacation—that’s what we’re here for. I remind myself of that so I’ll relax a little.