Australia's Seasons 2021 ⟶

“So what happens next?” she asked.

Maggie took a sip. “It’s strange,” she said. “Everyone at home is posting about ‘spring cleaning’ and tulips. Meanwhile, you’re wearing a cardigan and talking about the autumn leaves.” australia's seasons

“June,” Val said, gesturing with her mug toward the shed. “That’s when the real cold comes. Not your cold, mind you. Ours. Damp, creeping cold that gets into your bones because the houses are built to let the summer breeze through. The hills will turn purple with the jasmine. The wattles will go bonkers—yellow, fluffy explosions everywhere. And the magpies will stop swooping and start singing their spring songs, even though it’s the dead of winter.” “So what happens next

They sat in silence as the light thickened into gold. A kookaburra started its maniacal laugh somewhere down the street, and Maggie realized she’d stopped shivering. She’d been waiting for snow. But what she got instead was this: an autumn that felt like a deep, gentle breath before a winter full of purple flowers and birdsong. “Everyone at home is posting about ‘spring cleaning’

“That’s backwards,” Maggie whispered.

And for now, sitting on this porch with a warm mug in her hands, that felt like more than enough.