CJ laughs. ‘Carpe Diem!’
We all join in yelling Carpe Diem, even though I have no intention of seizing the day if it means partaking in an activity that is so scary, it makes even my bones shiver. Speaking of shivering, Barry’s complexion has a slight blue tinge to it and his stare is vacant.
Being Australian, Barry is definitely not acclimatised to cold like this but is doing his best but his smile seems frozen in place almost like rigor mortis has set in. It’s rather unsettling. ‘Are you… OK, Barry?’ I ask.
‘Oh my God, I’ve killed him! Haven’t I?’ Princess yells in a panic. ‘Is he dead? The curse is real and I’ve only gone and killed yet another man.’ She covers her face with her hands and lets out an anguished cry.
I give Barry’s shoulder a shake. He might look like a corpse, but I’m sure he’s still alive. Isn’t he? My pulse races as I fear I might have a real death on my hands this time. I’m the one who encouraged Princess to love again. ‘Barry! BARRY!’ I yell.
‘Is he just… a bit frozen, do you think?’ Sabrina asks, surveying him up close. ‘He blinked! He’s alive!’
‘Barry?’ Princess launches herself at him. ‘You poor man. He’s never encountered temperatures this cold, let along plunging his body into the icy depths like this. I’d better get him out.’
She helps him back up the ladder and wraps him in a towel, admonishing him for scaring her witless. I let out a relieved breath.
Once the panic is over, we resume swimming. CJ is ducking and diving and having a whale of a time while Karen’s teeth chatter so much it’s like she’s having a one-way conversation with herself. ‘I’m – g – g – going to…’
‘Get out?’
‘Y – y – yes.’
‘Me too,’ I say.
‘Sauna?’ Jasper asks.
I nod and let him lead me out. We quickly dry ourselves with a towel and robe up, slip on shoes and jog to the wooden hut. I practically catapult myself into the heat of the sauna. Princess and Barry are already inside, their cheeks rosy from the warmth. Barry makes jokes about his Aussie blood freezing over and Princess puts her head on his shoulder. ‘We’ll have to holiday in sunnier climes for you, my dear man.’
When my body finally recognises it’s not dying and the blood resumes flowing, I say, ‘That was crazy!’
Jasper laughs. ‘Crazy fun, right?’
‘Right. I do think, however, I’m going to give the snowshoeing a miss.’
‘Yeah?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Any other ideas?’
‘Hot tub?’
‘Hot tub.’
We say our goodbyes to the group and take the courtesy car back to the igloo.
* * *
After a lengthy and rather steamy – in every sense of the word – hot tub session with Jasper, he returns to his own igloo to make some notes about ice swimming and sauna bathing for his article. I shower and dress in fluffy Christmas PJs and call Freya.
‘Aubrey! Good timing, he’s awake.’ The camera pans towards little Bear, who has such a wise face even though he’s only a day old.
‘Merry Christmas, Bear!’ He frowns like an old man, which makes me laugh. ‘How are you feeling, Freya?’
She brings the phone back to her face. ‘I’m a little tired but that’s to be expected, probably for the next eighteen years or so.’
‘Probably.’
‘What happened with Miles? I heard he boarded the Winter Wonderland Express?’
