Erasure and Affirmation (Hypernaturals 11)

Make Room

After the wedding, Fiona cued up music (Thank all the gods we were not playing again), everyone mingled and chatted. Staff circulated with food and drinks. It was dusk, and it was completely pleasant.

I carried around Rachel and asked her about her day. "What did you do all day? I hardly saw you." I asked my little ball of energy.

"I played." She said.

"Did you play futball again?" I asked.

"Yes. I like futball. It's fun."

"You like futball more than riding horses?"

"Yes. Diana likes Horses. And Nakoma. I like futball." Rachel explained.

"When we get back to our Austin house, I bet we could get the people over at Ninovan to play Futball. We are building a place to play there. A regular field with proper goals and everything. Like on TV."

"Oh!!! Yea!!!! Can we go swimming?" Rachel changed lanes quickly, as the young do.

"Sure. Right now?" I asked.

"Right now?" Rachel asked.

"Ok." I looked around, found Diana being an adult with Victoria, and discussing important things. Like what horses like. We walked over to the pair. "Diana. Rachel and I are going swimming if you want to come." I said.

"Bye Victoria. I have to go." Diana said solemnly.

"Oh, no dear Diana. We are not done talking. I am coming with you." Victoria told her.

Diana's face lit up that her new friend wanted to know more about her horse.

The four of us left the patio area and went inside the building where the pool is.

Victoria said she has been here before, and she proved it by going to the locker room to undress and stow her party dress. I took the girls' things and put them in a locker for each of them because they are obviously too old to share a locker anymore. I do not even need to ask them. There comes a time in every little girl's life where sharing with your sister sucks. This is more a Diana/Rachel dynamic though. Sharing with Nakoma is totally fine. Or Diana with Laura, because Diana feels it is her job to take care of her youngest sister. I won't argue with that idea, but neither do I put a lot of pressure on Diana about it. Laura being who she is needs a lot of attention from everyone. Part of being on the spectrum is socializing her. My Dad also takes a special interest in Laura, as they are kindred spirits.

I put my things in a locker next to theirs, and we proceeded to the pool's shallow end. As per the Claremont pool protocol, I jumped in, and the girls waited on the side to jump into the pool to me. Victoria understood and jumped in next to me, destroying her coifed hair instantly. The very most literal sense of letting your hair down. It went from some upward arrangement that is probably elegant or something to shellacked by water to her back in no time. Whatever held it up gone.

The girls took turns jumping to the two of us and then swimming back to the edge to go again. "You are both such good swimmers!" Victoria praised them. "I bet your daddy made you learn when you were babies."

"I always could swim" Diana declared, then jumped to her.

Victoria held her out of the water and said to her wet face. "I am glad you know how to swim because water is dangerous. Knowing how to swim is important. It's good you already know. Did you teach your sister?"

"I always knew too." Rachel declared because if Diana can do it, she can do it better.

"My little competitor." I said to Victoria, receiving Rachel's leap.