Cindy needed to feel mothered, and Kara is doing a great job being exactly what Cindy needs. I understand why Kathryn sent her sister instead of coming herself. Cindy and Kara share a bond, I know it and so does Kathryn. We felt that same bond with Sam and Crystal. We do love Cindy and want what is best for her. We know Daniel and Kara is much better for her. The only thing I wonder and worry about is how we will put Daniel and Kara together with Cindy permanently.
Daniel comes in and I give him a sad smile and then beckon him to set with us. Daniel only hesitates for a moment before moving beside his wife on the couch. Daniel began to caress Cindy’s shoulder at feeling his touch Cindy turns and looks into his eyes. She only cries a little harder as she puts her head back on Kara shoulder. Daniel is confused by her reaction nearly starts to get up thinking he is upset her more, I motioned for him to stay and Daniel raises an eyebrow but sits back down.
I began in a gentle voice as I talked to Cindy, “Cindy you’re surrounded by people who love you, no matter what happens were going to stay in your life. We want to be part of your life, either in a very big way, but if not given the option we still will remain part of your life in whatever way we can.”
Daniel immediately realizing why Cindy is crying says, “If I have to volunteer at school as a crossing guard just to say hi to you I will. I will find some way to always be a part of your life.”
Cindy moves to Daniel’s lap and hugs him tightly then says, “I wish you could be my Daddy.” She turns to Kara and nearly repeats herself, “I wish you could be my Mommy.” Then she puts her head against Daniel shoulder and begins to cry again.
Daniel doing the best to restrain his own tears says, “I know Cindy, I want that too.”
Kara can no longer contain her tears and they flow freely as she says, “I love you Cindy and I would love to be your Mom, but if I cannot be, I will be your aunt or your friend but I will be in your life. You do not need to worry about losing me.”
Cindy moving back so she can look into our faces asks, “But how? How will you if…”
With the determined look on Daniel’s face, he interrupts her, “Cindy love always finds a way. Just hang in there, give us time and we will figure out a way to stay in your life. We really should enjoy the time we have together and not worry too much about tomorrow.”
I smile and nod my head yes, happy to be the support for the hero, Cindy’s hero Daniel. I child’s hero should be their dad, most children do look up to their parents as their heroes, unfortunately many parents do not come close to living up to what a child’s hero should be.
Cindy looks into Daniel’s face, she wipes a tear away as she says, “Uncle JJ promised to teach me how to swim but could you do it? Can you teach me how to swim?”
Daniel smiling brightly says, “I am sure I can. I would love to teach you. If you let your uncle JJ help me, I will teach you how to swim, the way he teaches how to swim is better than the way I know how to teach at first. After that I got him beat, I used to swim at college, and I know all the good strokes”
Cindy asks, “You think I might be able to swim better than Sam?”
Daniel smiling says, “As I understand it Sam has been swimming for six months, so it might take a little while but we will keep working on it. Not long at all you will be a mermaid too, will part like Sam you have to breathe air.”
Cindy giggles, “Okay we better get started, and I want to try to catch up with Sam.”
I chuckle and say, “Just remember swimming is supposed to be fun first, the work comes later.”
Returning to the pool we began our swimming lessons, I first show Crystal how to float. Daniel copies what I am doing with Cindy. The two girls only take a few minutes to learn how to float. Next Daniel helps me teach MC and Rosy, Daniel helping Rosy. Rosy picks it up faster than MC; sometimes it is much easier for a child to learn something new. MC just does not relaxes well in the water and that is her main problem. Ten minutes after Rosy is paddling around MC is just learned how to float.
Uncle George and Alyssa show up with Allen and Anna. Alyssa asks, “JJ could you teach Allen and Anna how to swim too?”
I never seen Alyssa in the pool before and wonder if she knows how to swim. Uncle George I do believe he knows how, but it would not surprise me the only way he knows how to teach is the same way the coach knows. I smile, “Of course I will teach my niece and nephew how to swim.”
Uncle George and Alyssa smile, Anna and Allen’s reaction is exactly what I expected, they both jumped for joy. Anna jumps from the side of the pool into my arms, which is a very good thing because that shows her trust. In my arms, Anna says brightly, “Uncle JJ thank you and thank you for the bike.”
Returning her smile I say, “You are welcome Anna.” Anna gives me a hug and a kiss on my cheek. Michelle is currently the one aunt not holding the child so I pass Anna to her. Michelle dotes on her new niece that cause Anna to giggle.
Allen is a little impatient as he waits his turn at the edge of the pool, as soon as I turn to him he jumps and I catch him just like his sister. Thanks me for his bike and the lessons. Unlike his sister, there is no kiss on the cheek just one difference between what a girl does and a boy does. In ten minutes, both Allen and Anna are floating around the pool. The only one of my new students having any trouble is MC, and she cannot float more than a few seconds. I pull MC over to the side and speak to her quietly, “Michelle Collins what is your problem.” I said it joking but the look of frustration on her face has me worried after that.
What MC says makes sense giving her experience, “I just cannot believe water is going to hold me up.”
Looking at MC I smile knowing how to explain this to her. MC is a very logical person; I simply need to give her the facts. In my most reassuring voice I say, “Michelle your body is made of ninety-eight percent water, the other two percent weighs nearly the same as water. The main difference in your weight and water is the amount of air in your lungs. Try not to exhale too deeply, and relax if you are tense your muscles they become more dense.”
MC begins to giggle before she says, “You mean it is just that simple, if I tense up or let too much air out of my lungs, I sink.”
After shaking my head yes, I gave her the other major secret about water. I say, “The other thing about swimming is like an airplane when you are moving in the water your body posture helps you to stay on the surface.”
Continuing her giggling, MC stands up straight with her shoulders back and chest forward. I smile and say, “That is the right posture, now you have that I think it is time for your next step in your lessons. Take a deep breath hold it and let yourself fall forward in the water once your horizontal raise your head extend your arms forward, kick, then draw your arms back to your side and down, as you raise breathe and pushed them forward again and repeat.”
MC says, “Yes Sir.” Once I move out of her way, MC follows my instructions. She is not swimming very quickly, but as long as she is moving forward feeling the water moving under her help support her. MC swims halfway across the pool without her head going under; she displays the biggest smile the entire time. When she stops and stands, again she turns around and shouts as she begins to jump in the water, “I did it!”
Rosy shouts, “Yeah Mama!”
I repeat the process with Rosy, and she swims to her Mama. Her Mama catches her holding her in her arms MC jumps, and they shout for joy. There is applause from our onlookers. Daniel, Kara, Kathryn and I repeat the process for each of the children and before long; Sam is organizing a race between them. I realize that is one way to make them stronger swimmers. Rosy and Crystal tie for first place, with Cindy coming in just barely behind them.
After the race, it is tag and then a splashing match. Cindy and the rest of the kids are having a great time; Cindy is on Daniel’s back she splashes her aunts giggling the entire time. After a while, we order pizzas and share dinner together. After dinner Sam wants to show the wedding video to her new sister and cousin’s.
Mom giggles before saying, “Sam we better not ware that out, but since it is the first time for your cousins to see it. I guess it is okay.”
Ron catches Charles and Jane having their full attention he says to them, “You really want to see this, it is really a beautiful wedding, and you will even see an angel.”
Charles chuckles thinking Ron means Kathryn in her wedding gown. He replies, “I guess we have time to watch.”
We watch the video, Ron asks see it in slow motion, we watch it again as each frame flashes by, the face can easily be seen beside Kathryn. Sam has tears beginning at seeing herself with Lester and Nicole, even more at the image that appeared beside Kathryn. Charles and Jane gasp at seeing the face; they both recognize Nancy in that image.
Jane asks Kathryn, “It looks like Nancy whispered something to you did you hear her?”
With a smile Kathryn replies, “I am not sure if you can actually hear an angel, but what I felt I heard was, find our daughter. The rest of the afternoon I knew I had to do something, and I was continually drawn away from the wedding party, I wish I could have found Sam sooner.”
We watch the video one more time in slow motion again, just over Sam is two bright dots. Sam says, “That is right when I wished for the bride and groom to be my new Mommy and Daddy.”
One of the bright dots disappear from Sam and the next frame the image of Nancy appears by Kathryn. Sam and Kathryn are clinging to each other, and I gently caress Sam’s back then I whisper in her ear, “Sam, your Angel Mommy made your wish come true.”
Crystal asks, “Sam did you really wish for Mommy and Daddy.”
Sam turning to her sister says, “I did, then when I met them for the first time they a change clothes, and I did not recognize them. The first time I knew I got my wish was the day we found the treasure. The day after Daddy knocked down the tree.”
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