26
Josie
Spending the afternoon at the pool with Hannah was oddly invigorating. I had been afraid that it would make me too sad to be near the water, but the familiarity of the echoing voices, the burning scent of chlorine, and the cool caress of the water against my skin felt like coming home after a long time away.
The little girl was a champ, despite her fears of getting her face wet. By the end of our first lesson in the pool, I had her floating on her back and was able to move my supporting hand away for a few seconds at a time. She focused on following my instructions precisely as she practiced kicking and slicing her arms through the water.
After we worked for about an hour, I gave her my honest assessment. “I think you’ll be swimming on your own after just a few more lessons.”
