Page 18 of The Seashell of ’Ohana

“We’ve got this,” I said.

My competitive side rose with confidence. I had gotten used to having Ian as my teammate, so the interaction of high fives and slapping our paddles came naturally and easily.

“All right. This is it, for the game.” Lee twisted his lips in concentration. “If we score, we win. If you score, then it’s a tie. And then we keep—”

“Stop talking,” Ian chuckled. “You’re stalling.”

“Slam it, Lee.” Kate scowled and brandished her paddle.

My sister had the cutest challenging glare.

As I swung from left to right, getting my momentum ready, I flashed a glance over to the pool as I had done every few minutes. But this time … my heart shot up to my throat, blood rushing in my ears, and I dropped my paddle.

“Tyler!” I screamed. My footsteps pounded on the paved stones.

Someone passed me. I saw only my son bobbing eerily on the pool’s suddenly choppy surface.

Tyler was floating in the deep end, facedown. Every horrible scenario flashed through my mind. Oh, dear God. You already took my husband. Please, not my son.

I jumped in and pushed through the warm water, but I wasn’t the best swimmer. My clothes and tennis shoes weighed me down. Before I could reach him, Tyler was lifted out of the water. A pair of strong arms pulled me up.

“Lee,” I said. I wiped the pool water off my face and whirled frantically.

“Ian has him.” Lee’s voice cracked, and his attention shifted. “Bridget, come out of the water, sweetheart.”

Bridget scrunched her eyebrows to the center, concerned, her eyes on Tyler and Ian.

My sister pulled me into her shaky arms. “He’s okay, Abby. Ty is okay.”

He’s okay.

My galloping heart slowed, but I had to see for myself.

“I’ll get some towels,” Kate said.

I got down on my knees, watching Ian assess Tyler. Tyler was sitting up, crossed-legged, wet, and shaking from the cold. But Ian wasn’t performing CPR. Tyler wasn’t coughing up water. Confused, but perfectly fine.

I was just as flabbergasted.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know what I did.” Tyler glanced between all the adults. “Why did you pull me out of the water, Ian?”

“Ty, what were you doing?” I stood behind Ian, trembling from the cold. I tried to hold in my panic, even though all I wanted to do was yell at him for giving me the scare of my life, and then I wanted to hold him and never let him go.

“I was practicing floating and holding my breath. I wasn’t jumping. I promise. Am I in trouble?”

My control nearly broke at that point. My adrenaline had finally settled, and relieved tears pricked my eyes. I blew out a lung full of air. Kate placed a towel around Tyler and handed two to Ian and me.

“No, honey.” I stroked his cheek with my trembling hand. “I’m sorry. This is my fault. I thought … I thought …”

I didn’t want to say it. I didn’t want to worry him. He might freak out, or maybe I would if I said the words aloud. I thought you drowned. I thought you were taken from me like your father.

“You scared your mom, that’s all.” Ian wrapped the towel tighter around Tyler. “How about you and Bridget go get some ice cream inside the house? Then we can play Buccaneers versus Skeletons on the big screen. What do you say?”

Tyler’s eyes rounded, replacing the annoyed, scared expression. “You play?”

“Aye, mate. Who do you think taught Lee? I beat his score.”

“What?” Lee joined the teasing, his hands anchored on Bridget’s shoulders. “Game on.”