Janet wears sunglasses in the bath.

Some people have swimming pools in their backyards. Others have hot tubs. Janet simply took it to its logical conclusion.

The bathtub’s little clawed feet rest on a concrete slab in the yard, protected by a fence tall enough to preserve modesty. On Saturday afternoons, she runs the bath and soaks, relaxing in the warm sun and the hot water. Some weeks she reads a book; others she just naps.

The water filters out much of the UV, and she develops tan lines on her chest and arms and knees where they breach the surface. Her coworkers notice and wonder; she smiles and says nothing.

Her girlfriend sees the tub and laughs. The next week, they argue good-naturedly over who gets the first turn.

That summer, they go to the beach together. Janet lies on the sand with her heels in the surf, and waits for the tide to come in.