The hot water nearly singed her skin as she submerged, completely naked. She protected her breasts from burning with her hands, slowly removing them after the water was over her chest. Yet it was soothing, and as the water came up to her chin she could feel herself melting and becoming one with it. The heat seeped into her body’s sculpted musculature. The sky, still clear, served as a deep black canvas for constellations, stars, planets and the haze of the Milky Way. One star, just above the tree line, glittered in red and blue hues. Kathrin rolled her head all the way around, then touched her chin to her chest. She let her head fall back on the cushion. With both the underwater light and the jets off, she let the sights and sounds of the night surround her. The babbling of the brook just below the house echoed off the trees, magnifying its steady rush into that of a stronger river. A night bird called out. An owl answered. Steam rose up from the tub. Continue reading “Getting It Right: Hot Tubbing”