Chapter 7 - The First Splash
It was late August when the heat finally broke, replaced by the crisp, clear blue skies of early autumn.
Maisie and I were sitting on my back porch. My yard didn't have a massive luxury pool like the one at her parents' house; instead, it had a green lawn, an old oak tree that dropped crunchy brown leaves, and a red plastic wading pool that I had bought at the local hardware store. It only held about six inches of cool tap water.
Maisie stood at the edge of the lawn, wearing a bright yellow swimsuit with little white daisies printed all over it. She looked down at the water, her small fingers twitching at the hem of her shirt—not pulling it tight in fear, but resting gently against her side.
I walked over, crouching down beside her without a word. I didn't hover. I just offered my hand.
"Do you want to put your toes in, sweet pea?" I asked softly. "Only if you want to. There’s no rush."
She looked up at me, her big brown eyes clear and steady, completely free of that old, terrifying shadow. A small, brave smile touched the corners of her mouth.
"Can we bring the yellow duck?" she asked.
My heart swelled so fast it felt like it might burst right out of my chest. "We can bring every duck in the house," I laughed, pulling a bright rubber toy out of my apron pocket.
May you like
She stepped forward, her bare foot touching the cool water of the little red pool. She giggled—a real, bright, unburdened sound that carried up into the branches of the oak tree. She splashed a tiny droplet of water onto my knee, then looked down, completely unafraid.
We sat there together on the grass for an hour, floating plastic ducks and talking about nothing at all, while the warm afternoon sun washed over us like a blessing.
