Elena stepped in, gently nudging him aside. she joked, clicking a video record button on her phone and handing it to him.

"I've got this," he insisted, just as a puff of gray smoke billowed into his face.

The weekend getaway was supposed to be about relaxation, but for Mark and Elena, it turned into an impromptu competition. They were parked by the lake, the sun dipping low, and Mark was struggling—really struggling—with the old-school charcoal grill they’d rented.

"I think the lighter fluid is defective," Mark muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead.