The Luna Choosing Game

Chapter 0553

The next morning, after dressing in my one piece swimsuit, I stood in front of the vanity in the bedroom, trying to decide how best to wear my hair, as to eliminate the most friction and increase my speed in the water.

Swimmers, I knew, wore swim caps to cover their hair, but lacking that, I wasn't sure what to do other than tie it up in a ponytail and hope for the best.

Elva, already dressed for the day, watched me. She wore a look of determination, as if she was the one about to go out and race. I appreciated the solidarity.

More so, when she gave me a thumbs up and said, "You got this, Mommy!*

I laughed as I turned to her and scooped her up into my arms. "How can I not, when I know you will be cheering for me?" I said. "We both need to give it our best."

"I'll cheer for you," Elva said, "So do well, okay?"

She wrapped her tiny

I'd already promised Nicholas. But now was the time to make the same vow, silently to Elva. My little girl needed me to come back to her, so I would do whatever I needed

I decided to go to the window to check on how choppy the waves were today. That would determine how

Bridget practicing on the beach. She must have finished

she was fast. She culminated her sprint with a few cartwheels and a backflip, which she landed perfectly. Her confidence hadn't been an act, then. Bridget was actually

was impressive, even I had to admit it. Though watching her made a deep kind of pit open up in my stomach. I knew the competition was

I reminded myself. Backflips were not part of the competition. I just had to run and swim faster than Bridget.

carried it with me as Elva and I went downstairs. We met Veronica out on the beach near the deck. She had already begun stretching. I immediately began to follow suit. Elva did