Triptych

Cold I

From Dad

I once turned into a snowman during orgasm. Tough to explain to the woman under me why I was suddenly melting all over her. I hadn't yet learned to control the more transformative aspects of my mutation.

From Mother

"It's not you, it's me." I gave her a diamond bracelet and she never mentioned it again.

I also never saw her again.

I think her name might have been Anna.


Cold II

From Mother

"It's very sweet that you feel that way, but I'm afraid it'll never work."

He raises an eyebrow and watches the tears well up in in the girl's eyes. He's fifteen. "I don't date baselines."

From Dad

"With one exception."

He makes a snowball and throws it towards the back of Kate, who's standing on the other side of the party, talking with someone. She turns and looks at him over her shoulder, rolling her eyes.

He grins.


Cold III

Kate clings to me in the middle of the night and shivers. It's like second nature to me now: shifting my absorption of the thermal energy around me so that the people who are near aren't cold. I wonder why I've forgotten.

No I don't.

I run icy fingertips up her spine and her eyes flutter open. "Stoppit," she sleepily murmurs, "morning. Tired now."

It was a long night. Aaron was restless. We were restless. Jack called earlier in the evening. It's always a long night after Jack calls.

By the time I manage to put a smile on my face, she's already fallen back asleep.