After The Fall: A collection of Matt and Abby short stories by Claudia connor

Author:Claudia connor [connor, Claudia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-12-23T18:30:00+00:00

6

The Plunge

Abby’s gaze moved over each of her children, checking them off, making sure they were still there. The first swim meet of the summer at their neighborhood swim club was half swim meet, half neighborhood block party. Also known as chaos.

Towels littered the pool deck like a patchwork quilt on this hot and humid evening. Dripping wet swimmers scurried to and from the starting line, darting through a sea of children, parents, and half eaten plates of food.

The sheer business of it all made her even more grateful Matt’s parents had offered to take Mary for a few hours. She smiled though, remembering Matt’s disgruntled “Mmm” when she’d told him. She teased him, as all his family did, at the way he constantly held eight-month-old Mary, telling him she was never going to learn to walk he kept it up.

His older brother, Tony, tortured him, saying he’d have to put her down when she went to kindergarten, when she started dating, for college. It only made Matt hold her more, which honestly was just about the cutest thing.

She straightened out the end of her own blue towel and gathered Charlie’s straying cars, trying not take up any more room than she had to. She checked the heat sheet, listing all of tonight’s races. Just nine more before Annie’s.

Matt had already said he’d be late, a problem at the current house he was building and he was waiting on a sub-contractor. Something about septic and easements and permits.

Mission critical he’d called it, which made her smile. He might not be an active duty Navy SEAL anymore, but it was a part of him and she loved all his parts.

She checked her phone again, hoping Matt had texted an update. No matter when he left, there was always the chance of traffic, an accident, anything, and she wanted to prepare Annie if he wasn’t going to make it in time for her first race ever.

Ah! She had missed a text, but who could hear anything over the lifeguard’s shrill whistle, the low pop of the starting gun. Added to it the screams of onlookers, both kids and adults. Mostly adults.

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