The universe speaks in ampersands, making up things as it goes along. First it’s always sunny in paradise, coconut milk and papaya smoothies on call. You are laying by the pool, not a care in the world. The golden light shimmers in a way that you can feel its presence but not its warning. You don’t know when the last “and” arrives, but does it matter? The aftertaste of vacation haunts you all the way home, and that is that.