Abigail stopped near a pair of solid metal doors with glass windows at the top. She glanced inside and then nodded for me to do the same. I could hear Timothy’s muffled screams followed by the sound of splashing.
“Bash has been talking about taking Timothy swimming ever since they finished the pool,” Abigail said.
Her smile was infectious and my entire body itched to get into the water with my son. Abigail opened the doors and I walked in. Timothy was treading water in the middle of the pool, and as soon as he saw me, he cheered and started doggy-paddling towards me.
"Mommy! Mommy! You're here!” he exclaimed through gulps of water.
“Yep, I’m here,” I said as I approached him.
It didn't take long until he was gripping the edge of the pool. He wiped the water from his eyes, and he frowned as he took me in.
"Are you not swimming?"
I held up my bag. "Just have to go change," I said and gave him a wink.
He glanced over at Noah. "Do you have to change, too?"
I glanced behind my shoulder to see that Noah had approached but, like always, had kept his distance from us. He was starting to feel like my shadow. Quiet and always around.
“Yep,” he said as he held up the trunks that Abigail had picked out for him.
Bash suddenly surfaced right next to Timothy. “Are those mine?”
“He didn’t bring any swim trunks, so I had to give him some of yours.” Abigail stood next to me.
Bash eyed Noah before he glanced back over to Abigail. “I’m not sure they are going to fit,” he said.
I glanced over at Noah and appraised him. He was definitely taller than Bash. And more muscular. His thighs were bigger, but his waist looked about the same size. They were probably going to be a bit tight, but I didn’t think it was impossible.
I brought my gaze up to Noah’s face only to see him staring at me. His cheeks were red and his gaze dark as he studied me. That’s when I realized I had been staring at the man. Not just staring, assessing him. Analyzing the size of his thighs, stomach, and body.
My face felt like it was on fire. I needed the cool water of the pool to splash on my skin immediately.
“I’m going to change,” I said, deciding to leave the swim trunks debate with the two engaged people—them staring at the man wouldn’t seem so inappropriate—and headed for the changing rooms.
I slipped into my black swimsuit and took a quick shower before I padded out to the pool. Abigail was already in the water and engaged in a squirt gun war with Timothy. Bash was in the middle, trying to keep Abigail distracted so Timothy could get away.
I cannonballed into the water, reveling in the cool temperature as it enveloped me. As soon as I surfaced, I did the breaststroke over to Timothy, who was gleefully spraying the water where Abigail had just gone under.
“Hi, my lovely,” I said as I pulled him into my arms and smushed my lips into his cheek.
“Mo-om,” he complained as he wiggled against me.
When I didn’t let him go, he leaned to the side to spray around me. Apparently, Abigail had resurfaced in a different spot.
“What did you do today with Uncle Bash?” I asked as I held onto Timothy, refusing to let him go even when he was very vocal with his frustration.
Timothy finally relented and turned to face me. Water clung to his eyelashes. “We got lunch at a bakery, and then he took me to a toy store where I got a dinosaur, then he took me to a meeting where I watched a movie on his phone, then we got spaghetti for dinner, and then we came here.” His words flowed like one run-on sentence.
When he finished, he stared at me expectantly. He’d done what I asked, now he wanted me to let him go.
“Did you have fun?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.
He closed his eyes, tipped his head back, and groaned. I just held him tighter.
“Yes,” he said with his eyes still closed.
I wrapped him up into another tight hug, kissed his cheek, and slowly released my grasp on him. The minute he could, he wiggled and thrashed against me until he slipped through my arms. He was across the pool and away from me in record time.
