I watch her from where I’m swimming behind the raft that Eloise shares with Avery. Millie’s practically glowing, and I want to lick every inch of exposed skin. And every hidden one too.
“Come on, Millie,” Eloise cheers. I note the streaks of sunscreen on her cheeks from where she wriggled away from me before I could rub it all the way in. “It’s not scary. You just have to jump in.”
“I’m not scared.” Millie laughs. “I’m warming up in the sun before I hit that cool water.”
“Should we pull her in?” I whisper to the girls, pushing their raft closer to the dock.
Avery’s eyes go wide as she nods. Eloise covers her mouth with her hand to stop herself from spoiling the surprise, but it only makes her look suspicious.
As I kick us closer, I spot some pink on Millie’s shoulders, even though I saw her apply plenty of sunscreen.
I only watched to make sure she covered everything.
For sunburn prevention.
No other reason at all.
When we approach the dock, I can barely touch my toes to the muddy bottom. I inch toward Millie until I can reach her foot and quickly slide my hand around it and tug.
“It’s cold,” she cries, scooting out of my reach. I spot her phone on the wooden slats next to her, so I know it’s safe.
Keeping one hand on the girls’ raft, I hold the other up like a truce while I creep closer. When she glances at the girls, I have just enough reach to grab her around the waist and toss her into the water next to me.
She shrieks the whole way, and the girls cackle. We tumble into the pond together, a wave of water crashing over us as our arms and legs tangle, and we try to right ourselves.
When we surface, she pulls the hair out of her eyes and gives me a wicked grin. She treads water as she undoes her shorts, and they make a wetsmackwhen they land on the dock.
“You think you’re so funny, Spock.” She shoves me back with both hands, and it surprises me enough that my feet slip out from under me. My head falls back under the water as Millie grabs the float and kicks away.
Once I regain my footing, I swim in their direction.
“There are some big fish in here,” she tells the girls when I catch up with them.
“As big as an alligator?” Avery asks, pulling her feet in tight to her body as I join Millie in pushing the girls.
“Not that big. But one time, I was fishing right there with Tessa, my big sister.” She points to a spot under a big spruce tree. “I caught a fish as long as your arm. My dad cooked it for dinner that night, and I learned that I don’t like the taste of fish.”
As if on cue, Millie lets out a sudden squawk and launches herself onto the raft next to Avery. She stares at me with wide eyes, her face as white as a sheet. “Something slimy touched my leg.”
I burst out laughing as she scours around the float for the offender. “Here I was, impressed by your outdoorsy skills,” I tease.
Her eyes narrow with a benign threat. “Some people scream about spiders,” she says pointedly. “And some people scream about fish.” Then she kicks water into my face, and the girls follow her lead.
***
“Draw four, Uncle Finn,” Eloise says during what feels like my seventy-fifth round of Uno with the girls, Mary, and Dave.
After drawing my cards, I scan the room around me. The difference between this house and my childhood home is night and day. Where my house was sterile and tidy, and the evidence of children was erased from every surface, this home welcomes those intimate signs of life. It brings me right into the warm memories like I was there.
Millie probably did her homework and ate every meal on the old farm table where our game is being played. Family pictures line the living room walls, full of vacations and Halloween costumes and swim meets.
Fable walks in and leans over her dad’s shoulder, her fingers looped around the straps of her overalls. “You kicking this big guy’s butt?” she asks Eloise and Avery.
“He hasn’t won a single game yet,” Mary says, laying down a yellow six.
Fable shakes her father’s shoulders. “Are you letting them win? You never let us win when we were kids.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Dave says decisively, laying down a draw-two for Avery. She scowls at him but takes her cards from the pile.
