Page 140 of Falling Into Forever
“What’s up, squirt?” I ask as she slides across my kitchen floor wearing a bright yellow bathing suit with a pink skirt and hat. She’s also holding inflatable pink tubes in various sizes, and this little girl is suddenly making me wish I’d doubled up on my deodorant today.
“Come on. Come. On. Sassy. We is waiting for you.”
Crossing my arms, I dig in my heels. “Who is waiting for me?”
“Ever-we-body,” she says with an eye roll I fear she learned from me.
Dante’s laugh fills the kitchen before his big head rounds the corner. “Lollipop. You were supposed to let me tell her.”
“You is too slow, Unca. Come. On. Sassy. Come. On.”
I glare at Dante, wearing a bathing suit with hot pink inflatable floaties around his forearms. Then he holds up a pink bikini, and I debate making a run for the bathroom and locking myself in.
Dante’s face shines with happiness, but I’m already shaking my head no.
“Lollipop, go downstairs and tell Grody we’ll be a few minutes, okay?”
Poppy shrugs her shoulders, hands me the pink floaties, then dances her little body down the stairs.
“No,” I say when he takes a step forward. “No,” I repeat when he keeps coming for me.
When he’s inches away, he turns me in his arms and guides me to the window that overlooks my backyard and the lake.
“What the hell is that?”
Attached to my dock is an inflatable unicorn that must be ten feet wide and at least as tall. It’s ginormous. And rainbow-colored.
But that’s not all. Grady is wearing pink swim trunks with yellow floaties cutting off the circulation to his forearms. By the way he keeps tugging them down, I’m sure he’s hoping they’ll pop.
Adam and Harrison are dressed the same way, except Harrison has a smaller version of the unicorn wrapped around his middle.
Cassie, Ainsley, and Lena are all wearing suits that match the one in Dante’s hands, and every kid, adult, and dog has some version of a swim floaty attached to their body.
“What the hell is this?” I wish my voice carried more sass, but I’m not sure if I’m scared, touched, or just completely flabbergasted—and that confusion shows in the bewilderment in my tone.
“Impromptu barbeque, Saylor.” Dante’s chest rubs against my shoulders when he shrugs, but he keeps his arms wrapped around my middle like he’s afraid I’ll make a run for it.
“Why is there so much freaking pink? And why is everyone dressed like a toddler at a splash pad?”
“Because you told everyone that if I lived, I would teach you how to swim.”
No, I didn’t. I wouldn’t. I couldn’t. Wait—mother freaking hellfire. I might have.
“Relax, Sayls. We aren’t going in over your head. And I’ll hold you the entire time. Today we’re going to float.”
“Float?” It comes out like a dog’s squeaky toy.
“Mm-hmm. And all those people who love you want to float with you, show you it’s not scary, and be there if you need them.”
“Don’t you think this would have been better in private? What if I freak the hell out?”
He chuckles. “Maybe, but they showed up for you and brought all your favorite foods to bribe you with.”
“All of them?” There’s no way that’s true.
“All of them,” he confirms.
“No way.”
