Sacha looked up at the sky. "So I was thinking about the weather" she said.

"Uh-huh." Hannah idly wiped some beads of condensation from the side of the wine bottle and licked them off her fingertips.

"And I find myself thinking - 'Wow, it's really nice weather we're having at the moment.'"

"Yeah."

"But then I realise, by now this is - what, the third autumn I've had in Melbourne?"

"Right."

"And I've never known it to be like this. In fact, at any time of year, let alone autumn."

"It's warm, I guess."

"Not just the warmth, though. I mean - usually with Melbourne, right, it changes a lot. You wait around, if the weather's bad you wait a couple of days, it changes."

"True."

"But how many weeks now has it been like this? The same damn weather, every day. Warm, clear sky. Not a drop of rain."

"Mmm." Hannah started to think about pouring herself another glass of wine. She couldn't quite be bothered lifting the bottle just yet, the weather was just about putting her to sleep, but if she thought about it enough she might get motivated.

"I mean, if I was in Canberra this'd be nice. It'd be normal."

"Sounds good."

"But I'm not in Canberra. I'm in Melbourne. And it's meant to be . . . clouds, and rain, and - god, I dunno, maybe just a bit of wind?"

"Probably."

"But no. Nothing. Just the same damn weather, day in, day out. Like we're in California or something."

"Cool."

"I think I heard the weather doesn't change much in California."

"I dunno."

"Maybe just L.A."

"Sounds right."

"You know, 'cause they're in a desert there."

"Yeah."

"But does it get cold at night? I'm not sure. Isn't it meant to get cold at night in a desert?"

"Could be."

"But I guess they're by the sea there, so that'd probably keep it warmer."

"Probably."

Sacha sighed. "This weather's getting me down" she muttered to herself.