A New Year's Eve Party in June

It came at 4:40pm. In the back of an iced truck that traveled 3 hours from the closest event company they could find. Already melting when the guy set the dollies underneath. It was 91 degrees. The swan was 6 feet tall of ice by the time we made it to the middle of Vivian Marsh's backyard it was dripping water out of each tip of its wings.

"It won't last until midnight" Said her Granddaughter Rosa from the door. Party horn in hand.

"Well nothing lasts until midnight it was supposed to be that way when you started." Vivian said. "Its kinda the whole idea."

Rosa didn't question what that meant. Not many things had she questioned the past 3 weeks when her Grandma told her that she was having a New Years Eve party on the 21st of June. With a countdown. Champagne and formal wear. Nearly 6 months apart from the actual New Years Eve that came and went like any other with no big party or fireworks just Vivian and a drink and TV.

"Its summer Grandma." Rosa stated.

"I know that. I have a thermostat."

You would have to know Walter Marsh to understand why a 78 year old woman would have imported party favor boxes, hire a Quartet and convinced a catering company to provide dinner with a countdown in June. He married Vivian on December 31st. Forty years and 11 days before the ice melted in her yard. Since it was so last minute they got married at the Courthouse on New Years Eve because it was the next day that they could after a baby support case was held.

It wasn't suppose to happen that way. Like every couple they wanted to get married in the Summer. Probably June with a garden wedding they saw on magazines. But Walters mother fell ill that Spring and there was a Hospital instead. By the time things cleared up it was December and so they got married in December.

"We will have our proper June one one day" Walter would always say to his Wife as he poured her another drink at Midnight on the Anniversary of their Wedding which just so happened to be everyone elses Anniversary as well. One day he would promise.

One day they did have. Well that day never came. One child after another they wanted to spend the money on instead. Then when Walters Health started to decline he wanted to enjoy the good times and not risk it by trying to have a second Wedding. He passed away on January of this year in a typical boring manner like most Deaths. He was on the couch watching tv with a puzzle on his lap and his heart just stopped beating.

This January she spent her Anniversary alone for the first time. It didn't go well is what she would tell Rosa. No elaboration on what that meant besides her having drank her drink of choice and sitting in silence. Apparently at some point close to midnight she decided to take a walk to the Reservoir behind their home in her Nightgown but slipped on the foot rest and broke a Lamp. Which made her laugh till she cried because if Walter was there he would have laughed as well and there was no one to share that with.

So she was giving him her June wedding. On the 21st of June she decided he could finally receive his June Wedding. Wrong time of year and all she didn't care.

It was 7pm and everyone had started trickling into her backyard. Walters Bowling league all elderly men in Tuxedo shirts with their neck open. Walters Wife's Daughter (Rosas Mom) had on a nice Dress that was obviously just cleaned for the occasion. Some Neighbors that showed up to see what the commotion was about but decided to stay. Everyone was enjoying the Drinks and it didn't feel weird to them once they knew what it was for.

They even had a Clock to count down to Midnight. Which was requested by Vivian she insisted. They counted down to Midnight on June 21st at 12am. Since it didn't fully darken out until late in the evening in June there wasn't really much of a dark atmosphere to the party.

"It doesn't feel like its New Years" Said one of Walters friends from the bowling League. "Don't get me wrong but there should be Snow and its supposed to be dark at this hour. It just feels like" he pointed at everything around them. "We're pretending to be in the middle of Winter."

"That is what the Invite said." Vivian told him.

She didn't explain. There weren't many explanations she would give to those that came to her party. Those that needed an explanation would know why and those that didn't wouldn't. She knew that Rosa understood why she was doing this. She had come across a picture while cleaning Walters Office. It was of a June Wedding they had looked at when they were getting engaged and it said "Someday" underneath it.

At 11: 40 the ice was finally beginning to lose it's shape. Within minutes the swan melted and was now just water with pieces of wings laying on the side. They probably only had about 4 hours with the Ice. Knowing how warm it was Vivian knew the Ice wasn't going to last but didn't want to ruin the aesthetic.

She found her Mother in law at 11: 50 watching over the Reservoir behind their house. "Are you ok?" She asked.

"I feel like it should be snowing. Silly I know I tried to recreate every aspect of that day but there is no snow or Cold Air. I guess that's what I wanted most. Not him just Cold I suppose."

"Maybe its not what your looking for. You just wanted to relive the feeling of your first Anniversary I don't think it has to be during Winter."

"How did you become so smart." Vivian laughed.

"I learned from the best"

They both stood there till 11:59 rolled around and the Countdown began. Once that final Second ticked by Vivian and everyone standing on that property welcomed their fake New Year.

Vivian didn't take a swim that night she stood in her backyard pretending it was Cold enough to celebrate New Years Eve. At 12: 00 she toasted to the spot her husband would have been that night and said "Happy Anniversary I hope you enjoyed your Summer."

Fire Works went off in the distance. No one knew who put those on but they lit up the Reservoir behind the Marsh's house. For about a minute I think it confused what Holiday they were celebrating.

The Swan fully melted sometime after 1am. Just like the Sun it melted on it's own time. Leaving it's remains in the ground where flowers will bloom one day this Summer.