Almost Forever

Chapter 27

It was a tradition five years in the making. On the first weekend in May, or as soon thereafter as weather permitted, the pool on the roof of Brennan's building opened and Booth and Parker arrived for the first swim of summer. Although events in the fall had given cause to wonder if the tradition would continue into a sixth year, that problem - so to speak - had solved itself. So it was that at midmorning on May 7, the doorbell rang and waiting on the other side were father and son, dressed in t-shirts and swimming trunks and smelling of sunscreen.

Everything was exactly the same.

Except that it wasn't, even if only Booth and Brennan realized it. The pool games, which had always been physical, became more so. The couple, free to touch as they would, bumped and shoved and swam under and around each other and generally strayed no further apart than a seeking hand could reach.

They were free, too, to look and admire . . . and look and admire they did. This year, Booth had no reason to hide his appreciation for the lush fullness of her cleavage or the long, shapely legs shown to advantage by the high cut of the stark black swimsuit Brennan wore. Nor did she need to disguise the warmth in her own gaze, or the pleasure she found looking at his strong broad shoulders and heavily muscled arms. Their mutual admiration hung over the afternoon, adding an electric layer of heat to the already sweltering day.

They stayed at the pool until hunger and a touch of pink on Parker's nose drove them inside. He was immediately sent to the bathroom to shower the chlorine out of his hair and change, while Booth and Brennan cobbled together a simple meal of sandwiches and fruit. That task took almost as long as the boy's shower; the handsy games in the pool continued in the kitchen and it was only the knowledge that he was there that kept them from making a more thorough use of the counters . . . or the floor.

But Parker was there and all too soon, appeared again smelling of Brennan's fragrant organic bath supplies instead of sunshine and chlorine. He pronounced himself starving and fell on the food like he'd been deprived of meals for weeks instead of just a few hours. The three of them sat around the small round table in Brennan's kitchen, as comfortable as any family having lunch together.

Parker wasn't immune to the family-like atmosphere. Halfway through the meal, he wiped milk from his upper lip and asked, "Can I have the room next to the bathroom?"

Booth grinned and ruffled his son's still-damp curls. "Why, do you need a nap? Did all that swimming wear you out?"

Parker shook his head. "No, I mean after we move in here. I like the room next to the bathroom. You can see the Washington Monument from the window!"

Brennan choked on the sip of water she'd just taken. Booth spared a quick glance to make sure she was okay, but his attention was otherwise on his son.

"What are you talking about? Who said we were moving in here?"

Parker shrugged and reached for another sandwich. "Bones is your girlfriend now, isn't she? For real? Mom said she was."

"Your mother needs to stop talking about my personal life, okay?" Booth scowled but couldn't resist slanting a satisfied smile in Brennan's direction. "But yea, Bones is my girlfriend now, for real. That doesn't mean we're moving in here, though."

Parker leaned over and spoke in a whisper so loud, the neighbors across the hall probably heard it. "Dad, she has a pool!"

"Which we can use anytime we want," Booth reminded him. "Isn't that right?"

"Yes." It was Brennan's only contribution to the conversation. With her hands in her lap and her expression carefully blank, she listened with one ear while her mind raced.