farther from the stairs than she should have. i jumped from my chair and into the pool, lifting her out by one arm after seeing her blonde head sink under the water. i was panicked and frightened, but after she coughed up the water she had swallowed and calmed down, i knew she was fine.
after a moment, she said, “i love you, daddy. can i get back in the pool now?” holy cow. a father who was watching his son swim and was clearly of military background, said, “your little one’s a real soldier.” yep. and that’s what i’m afraid of. but she was fine and i was okay, even 