Prologue
Ethan - Aged 7
The air smelled nasty. Chlorine, Mom said. I didn’t like it. It clung to the back of my throat and made my eyes sting, even before I touched the water.
“Come on, Ethan.” Mom crouched in front of me, tugging gently at the straps of the too-tight goggles she’d pulled over my head. Her hair was damp already, little curls sticking to her cheeks. “It’ll be fun once you get in. You’ll see.”
I shook my head so hard the goggles slipped sideways. Fun wasn’t the word I’d use. The pool stretched out like a giant blue mouth waiting to swallow me. Kids were splashing, their voices echoing against the high ceiling, and the sound made my stomach knot.
“I don’t want to,” I whispered. My voice didn’t carry over the noise, but Mom heard anyway. She always did.
Her expression softened. She brushed her thumb across my cheek. “I know it feels scary. But swimming is important. Everyone should know how. It keeps you safe. And besides…” She smiled like she was sharing a secret. “One day, you might love it.”
I didn’t believe her. The water was too big, too cold, too loud.
The swim instructor blew his whistle. “Tadpoles, line up at the shallow end!” His voice bounced off the walls, and kids scampered past me, dripping wet, leaving little puddles on the tile.
Mom straightened, adjusting the strap of her swimsuit. She wasn’t getting in, this was my lesson. But she stood at the edge, close enough that I could grab her hand if I needed.
“Go on,” she urged softly. “I’ll be right here. Just try.”
My feet felt like they’d grown roots into the wet concrete. The tiles were slippery, and the smell of chlorine was stronger here. I didn’t want to go. What if the water went over my head? What if I sank?
“Ethan.” Mom crouched again, her eyes level with mine. “You’re braver than you think.”
The words didn’t make sense to me, but something in the way she said them did.
So I shuffled forward, bare feet slapping against the wet tile, and joined the line of kids clinging to the wall. The instructor handed me a foam noodle, bright orange and squeaky under my fingers. “We’ll practice kicking,” he said, not unkindly. “Just hold on and kick.”
I lowered myself into the pool, and the cold slapped against my skin. My teeth chattered as I clung to the noodle, arms shaking. The water wasn’t deep, it only reached my chest, but still, my heart thundered like I was sinking into the ocean.
Kick, he said. So I kicked. Water splashed up, hitting my face, filling my mouth with that sharp taste. I coughed, sputtered, panic scraping at my throat.
Mom’s voice cut through the noise. “You’re okay, Ethan! You’re okay. Just breathe.”
I turned my head toward her, saw her standing on the edge, hands pressed to her heart, smiling encouragement. Her eyes shone with that mix of worry and pride she always wore when I tried something new.
My legs burned. I hated it. But I kept kicking, not because I wanted to, but because she was watching. Because she believed I could.
By the end of the lesson, I was exhausted, trembling from head to toe. My hair dripped into my eyes, my chest hurt from coughing, and I swore I never wanted to do it again.
But when Mom wrapped me in a towel and kissed the top of my head, she whispered, “See? You did it. I’m proud of you.”
And for the first time since we walked into the building, I smiled.
Authors note
Please note, this is a sample. The Prologue through Chapter 5 will be posted here.
The completed book is available on Patreon! I have lots of other books also in progress there :)
Join here: https://www.patreon.com/JessieGrayWrites
