❛ 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝'𝐯𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫. ❜ ❛ 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐠𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭. ❜ ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ "We see you!" His voice pierces the air, igniting a burst of adrenaline within me. Just as I take a step onto the yard to the deck, a cascade of frigid water envelops me, drenching my entire back. The shock of the cold water causes my muscles to tense and my heart to race. I inhale sharply, vigorously shaking my arms in an attempt to dry off the water. "Seriously?" I yell. He chuckles, adjusting his water gun with feigned innocence. "Wasn't me." "It was sprouting." "She's a great shot." A triumphant smile stretches across her face as she nods enthusiastically in agreement. I narrow my eyes skeptically at him, then shift my gaze to the nearby water balloon. "Let's hope mine is better." I cocked back, ready to fight fire with fire. Their eyes meet in disbelief, a brief moment of shock before they erupt into uproarious laughter, their voices blending with joyous shouts as they run. As I chase after them, a realization dawns on me. the warmth of love and playfulness fills me, pushing away any lingering traces of annoyance or frustration. This is something that I've been searching for all my life. My heart swells with gratitude as a radiant smile takes hold of my face. These two are not winning this time.