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“Mary, how about we swim normal and closer to this side?” Although she had floaties on, I wanted to see her face.
I peered around me and noticed various flotation devices, even a large unicorn. If it came down to it, I’d get on the unicorn and jump right in.
“Becky, do you have a coin? I want you to throw it in the water, and I’ll dive for it,” Sarah said, her slick dark brown locks sticking to the side of her face.
I shook my head. “I don’t. And I don’t want to leave you guys out here.”
My eyes searched the vicinity and landed on some pebbles on the outskirts of the backyard by the tree house that could rival a small house.
I pointed to Sarah. “Watch Mary for two seconds.”
I ran toward the grass, bent down, and picked up the biggest pebble I could find. I raced back to the edge of the pool.
And panic seized my chest because in the next second, Mary was gone.
“Sarah! Where’s Mary?”
Her floaties were up at the surface, but she was nowhere. Sarah dived and swam to the deep end of the pool, and my feet could not get to the end fast enough.
Mary was lying facedown, floating, arms and legs stretched.
I didn’t think.
I reacted.
I jumped in.
Chapter 24
Charles
I heard the frantic screams coming from the backyard, and I dropped my briefcase and ran. Ran so damn fast that I almost tripped on my own two feet.
Mary was sitting at the edge of the pool, extending a life preserver, while Sarah struggled at the end of the pool, her head bobbing up and down … wait. Not Sarah. Becky.
It took a second to analyze the situation.
Sarah was trying to save Becky, who bobbed up and down and was taking my eldest under in the process.
Sarah spat up water, going under again, coming up for air and reaching for Becky, who was flailing and splashing, her body and hands erratic.
My instincts kicked in, and I jumped in, fully clothed.
“Sarah, I have her,” I shouted, motioning for Sarah to get to the side, to safety.
I treaded to Becky, reaching for her waist, but she struggled and pushed at my chest and went underwater. I pulled her up by her swimsuit, but she slapped at my hands.
“Becky … stop!”
I spit out the water that had been splashed in my face and reached for her waist again—with force this time. In the process, her hands pushed down my shoulders as she tried to elevate herself above me to cough out the water in her lungs.
I closed my eyes and held my breath as my head was submerged. Then, I popped back up, and determination set deep in my skin. With one hand wrapped tightly around her, I swam us both to the side. I lifted her out of the water, where she dropped on all fours, coughing and choking up water.
My body felt twenty pounds heavier, as my polo shirt and pants were weighted down with water. A second later, I bent down, heart still racing but knowing that my kids were okay. I had to assess Becky. Who knew if she needed medical attention? The fact that she was coughing meant she was breathing, which was good.
“You’re okay,” I repeated to her, but I felt as though it was mostly for me.
When the coughing ceased, she took big, deep, breaths.
