“Can I jump with you?”
“Okay.”
“One two three four five!” Pete shouted. “Cannonball!” He launched himself off the rocks, curled his body into a ball, and landed with a splash.
Harper watched him with a sigh.
“Do you want to climb the rocks instead?” Oakley asked.
“No! I want to jump.”
“Okay.”
She inched towards the edge until her toes were hanging off.
“The longer you wait, the harder it gets.”
“I know!” Harper made to stomp her foot and nearly went tumbling off. Oakley laughed and pulled her backwards.
“You want to get a bit farther from the rocks than that. We need to jump, not fall.”
“I know!” She looked about ready to cry.
“How about a snack break?”
“I don’twanta snack break!”
“You’ve done this before,” Hayden said. She stood behind them, dripping and waiting for her turn. “Like, three different days you’ve done this.”
“I know.” Harper’s voice was unsteady.
“Should we just push you?”
Oakley shot Hayden a look, but then Harper nodded.
“Seriously?” Oakley asked.
“Yeah. I think I need a push.”
“How about this?” Oakley scooped her younger daughter up in her arms like a baby. Harper giggled and wrapped her arms around her neck. “Ready?”
“Yes! Hurry! Go!”
Oakley leapt from the top of the waterfall with her daughter in her arms. The water enveloped them, quick and frigid, and Oakley opened her eyes to watch her baby rush to the surface beside her.
“Again!” Harper shouted the moment she’d caught her breath. “Let’s go again!”
“Okay,” Oakley agreed, laughing.
The cold water was invigorating, a welcome shift from the heat of the day.
Oakley swam to the edge of the pool with easy strokes, keeping pace with Harper. They pulled themselves up onto the sun-warmed rocks, and Harper hurried back to the cliff.
“Slow and steady,” Oakley warned her as they climbed back up the rocks. “The more we do this, the more slippery everything gets.”
After that first time, Harper didn’t hesitate once.
They jumped at least twenty more times, making the climb and the leap over and over again until the kids finally got tired. Finally, Oakley handed lunch off to the kids and sprawled out on a hot stretch of stone to dry off.
