Page 69 of The Forever Christmas Tree

By the time they got to the Sunset Dunes Health Club, Wendy’s head was beginning to ache, but she had to admire Ethan’s patience with his daughter. Even as he rolled his eyes, or arched his brows, or laughed out loud at the absurdity of some things Cassie said, he still took the time to respond. Not always in the affirmative, but in such an understanding way that she realized, not only had the boy Ethan grown into a successful businessman but he was also a really good father.

Oh, and, by the way, a super lover, too.

Even though it was a Saturday, there wasn’t a big crowd at the club due to the holiday weekend. About a dozen men and women worked out in the weight and apparatus areas, and another half dozen were in the pool.

Wendy went into the ladies’ locker room with Cassie who donned a pretty pink sparkly two-piece, and Wendy put on her old high school, faded black tank suit. Cassie seemed self-conscious about the scars on her upper leg leading to her hip until Wendy pointed out that she had scars, too.

Cassie’s eyes went wide with wonder and she reached over to trace the line on her neck when Wendy bent down to give her a better view.

“If anyone ever makes fun of your scar, you just tell them that it’s a sign of valor. That means bravery. You and I know what it’s like to have pain for a little while, and then God gives us these scars like a badge of honor.”

“Really?” Cassie beamed and ran out to give her father the news.

“Slow down, honey,” Wendy called after her. “You don’t want to slip and fall.”

They met Ethan poolside, where the air was warm with humidity and the pungent scent of chlorine, and he was testing the water with a big toe. He wore a pair of navy trunks that hung low on his hips. He arched his brows at Cassie’s chatter about scars and badges and bravery, then mouthed “Thank you!” to Wendy.

Wendy decided to loosen up first with a few laps. Diving off the side, she swam a number of different styles, nothing strenuous. A front crawl for one lap, followed by the backstroke, then breaststroke, a butterfly, then another front crawl. Swimming over to where Ethan was in the water with Cassie at the lower end, she finger-combed the wet hair off her face and smiled at the little girl who was floating on her back, with her father’s help.

“Take a few laps while I check out your daughter’s swimming skills,” she advised Ethan.

He hesitated, and Wendy knew he was worried that she would have Cassie do something that might harm her hip.

“I’ll be careful,” she promised.

He did a shallow dive from a standing position and swam the length of the pool, underwater, before coming up with a dolphin splash, then twisting into a slow crawl.

“Can you swim at all, Cassie?” she asked.

“Sure!”

For the next fifteen minutes, Cassie demonstrated her rudimentary skills, and Wendy showed her how to improve her breathing underwater and perfect her speed by tucking in her legs and using her overhead strokes in a straight path. The little girl was a fast learner. Within a half hour, by the time her father returned to them and made them both yelp when he shook his hair at them like a shaggy dog, Cassie was able to demonstrate improvement. Wendy was pleased to see the surprise on Ethan’s face that she’d accomplished so much in such a short time.

“Can you dive at all, Cassie?” Wendy asked.

The girl shook her head, sadly.

“Um, I don’t think . . .” Ethan started to say.

“Trust me, Ethan. I won’t let her get hurt.”

He nodded.

Then she suggested to Cassie, “How about we try just a few low dives off the side of the pool, first from a sitting position, then kneeling, then standing on the edge.” To Ethan, she added, “You could stay in the water to spot Cassie, if need be, but I don’t think it’ll be necessary. Are you game, Cass?”

The little girl nodded.

Somehow, all the lessons that Wendy had been given over the years came back to her:

“Remember, always keep your arms straight overhead, with your elbows touching your ears. That’s right. Just like that.”

“Enter the water fingers first and make sure you bend to avoid a belly flopper.”

“Toes curled over the edge!”

“Relax. Loosey-goosey saves the day.”

“No, I don’t think you’re ready for a running dive yet, honey.”