I’m falling so hard in love with her and don’t want to leave this bubble.
She dives back into the water, and we spend a few minutes playing—chasing each other, tugging at feet and ankles underwater, splashing. I lift her up and throw her into the deep end; she climbs on my back andpretends I’m her chauffeur. It’s so fun and easy to be silly with her that neither of us pauses to comment on how ridiculous we’re being.
She emerges from the last throw I’ve managed, breathless and laughing. My arms are getting fucking tired, but I’ll throw her around the pool as long as she wants.
Lucky for me, she wants to go to the hot tub.
We climb out and pad over, settling into the bubbling heat with a duet of happy groans.
“We should have done this first,” she says, “and then gone into the pool.”
“We can still do that, silly.”
She floats over, coming to straddle my lap. I look around to make sure no one is nearby, but with only about fifteen minutes left of pool time, everyone has cleared out and it’s just us here now.
“That was the first time I think I actually liked playing in a pool,” she says, cupping her hands around the back of my neck.
“Come on,” I say, laughing. “You act like you’re such a bookworm, but I saw you on the beach. You hike. You swim. You love being outside.”
“I think I’ve started to love that stuff because of you. I think Sunny Sundays made me so happy that I started to like being outdoorsy… ish.”
“Maybe it doesn’t just have to be once a week. We should add Merry Mondays and Thrilling Thursdays to the mix,” I say, laughing.
“Titillating Tuesdays,” she says earnestly. “Let’s do it.”
I reach up, holding out a pinkie, and she hooks hers around it. “Pinkie swears are on the Ick List,” she whispers, “but I like them.”
“It’ll be our secret,” I whisper back, and smile up at her before letting my eyes fall closed. “Coming into the hot tub was a good idea.”
“I’m telling you: I have excellent ideas.”
Skeptically, I crack an eye open. “Am I having a real memory that you once suggested putting pineapple on nachos?”
She laughs, delighted. “If you’re remembering that, it clearly made an impression. Maybe it’s worth a try.”
“A traumatic impression, maybe.” She splashes me lightly with water. “Emmy, it’s unfair how hot you look with your hair all wet like this.”
“That’s a pretty smooth line, Mr. Martín. Did you practice that one earlier, in front of the mirror?”
“Why would I do that? The mirror doesn’t blush back at me like you do.”
She laughs, bending to rest her face in my neck. “You’re insufferable.”
“I think you like it.”
“You’re going to be the king of dad jokes,” she whispers, and I tighten my arms around her.
“Someday.”
We fall into an easy silence, but I feel myself overheating and know we’re close to closing time for the pool.
“What do you want to do tomorrow?” she asks into my neck.
“Everything?” I say, and feel the enormity and truth in that single word. I want to do everything with this woman. I don’t want to waste a minute of this second chance we’ve been given.
She laughs. “Maybe we start with a hike?”
I nod. “We should do Bridalveil Fall Trail.”
