So basically, getting us all in the same room to nail down a solid schedule is like herding cats.

I arrive home shortly after eight and the house is dark. Sam must be asleep with Kai already. I notice Peggy’s car is still here and wonder if everything is okay. She’s almost always gone by dinner time.

I follow a dim light through the kitchen and into the den. Peggy is reclined in the leather chair, holding Kai against her chest. Thankfully, her shirt is securely on. I couldn’t imagine walking in on her with a bare chest practicing the Kangaroo Method.

“Is everything okay?” I ask.

“Hi, Garrett. Yes, everything’s fine. Sam needed a break, so I’m taking over for a few hours.”

I’m suddenly jealous, and I have no right to be. “Where is she?” I’m hoping she’s not with Dick.

“Out there.” She nods toward the backyard where the indoor pool is.

“By herself?” I ask nonchalantly as I walk to the window and see the glow from the pool.

“Of course,” she answers. “Who would she be out there with?” Good.

I casually peer out the window to see if I can catch a glimpse of her. “I don’t know, her boyfriend maybe?” Why did I say that?

Peggy laughs and shakes her head. “She doesn’t have a boyfriend, hasn’t for a long time.” She furrows her brow and looks pensive. “I think it’s about time she found one. She deserves a nice boy who will take good care of her. She has so much love to give. It’s such a shame she doesn’t open herself up to the possibilities.” She smiles and rubs Kai’s back. He stretches and sighs, sinking deeper into a restful slumber.

“How is he?” I ask.

“He’s had a good day today. One of his best days yet. He’s been able to eat four ounces of formula at a time, which is a miracle.”

“Four ounces doesn’t seem like a lot,” I say, worried that he’s not eating enough.

“Oh, it’s a lot for him. His sick little tummy can’t take too much food at once. It’s very painful for him. In addition to his other issues, he has GERD, which triggers acid reflux as well as other painful gastrointestinal disorders. Typically, he can only drink two to three ounces at a time. But today, he graduated to four without much fuss. So it’s definitely a good day.”

“Wow, I had no idea.” Every time I ask about his condition, I learn something new. It’s overwhelming and I can’t keep it all straight. There are so many things wrong with him, it pains me to think about it.

I look back out to the pool house and notice that the overhead lights are off, but the underwater lights are on. It looks peaceful and quiet out there, and I wonder what Sam is doing. Steam rises from the water, glowing from the dim lights in the pool.

A long, lean figure floats into view, and I see her. Her face is barely exposed to the air above, and her arms are floating weightlessly, stretched out to the side.

“Is she okay?” I ask Peggy, but I can’t take my eyes off of the beauty that’s emanating from my pool.

“She’s fine. It’s what she does to relax,” Peggy responds.

“Really?” I ask as I continue to watch her drift slowly through the water. She looks completely relaxed and I’m jealous.

“I secretly think it’s how she connects with her parents.”

“What?” I ask, her comment piquing my interest.

“Sam almost drowned in her pool when she was seven. Her dad saved her life. Soon after, he insisted that she get proper swim lessons and he hired an instructor. She learned how to stay calm which helped her conquer her fear of the water. She learned that floating on her back will get her out of any scary situation in the water. Now she floats for therapy and relaxation.”

My heart hurts for Sam, knowing that her parents were taken from her. Peggy gave me a brief history on Sam before she came to take care of Kai. I know her parents died when she was sixteen, and Peggy has raised her since.

“She’s a lucky girl to have you,” I say as I watch Sam get out of the pool. She’s wearing a black bikini that hugs her body perfectly. Her curly hair is piled on top of her head. She grabs a towel hanging from a hook and starts to dry herself. I turn from the window, feeling like a voyeur.

“I’m the lucky one, Garrett. She saved my life.”

“Oh?”

“Not literally, of course. But figuratively. When my brother was killed, I felt like I’d lost everything. He and I were so close and we only had each other. When he died, I had a renewed sense of life and purpose. I’d always helped other families. Now I was given a chance to help my own. It broke my heart to see Sam through the rest of her teenage years, but it also strengthened it knowing what I was doing for my brother and his wife.”

“You and Sam have a unique gift. Taking care of other people, the level that you both do, is astounding. Commendable.” They’re definitely both from the same gene pool, that’s for sure.

The back door slides open and Sam enters the kitchen, wrapped in a towel. She’s shivering. “I forgot dry clothes,” she stammers and looks stunned to see me. Her cheeks flush pink and she pulls the towel tighter around her thin frame.

I walk past her to the closet in the hallway and remove a plush white robe and hand it to her.

“Why do you have a woman’s robe in your closet?” she asks then quickly follows it up with, “Never mind, I don’t want to know.” She takes the robe, lets the towel drop and quickly pulls the robe on over her shaking shoulders. She does it so quickly I’m barely able to catch a glimpse of her body. But what I’m able to see is magnificent.

I’m glad she didn’t press me for an answer. Several other women have worn that exact robe. The hot tub is just down the stairs on the deck, and I keep it in the hall closet for emergency use only. Every time Peggy does my laundry, she can’t help herself but comment that these robes should be disposable. That explains why she’s giving me a nasty look now that I’ve given this robe to Sam to wear. I know she doesn’t approve of my extracurricular activities.

Sam walks over to Peggy and Kai. “How is he?” she asks.

Peggy gives her the same answer she gave me, and Sam squeals, quickly throwing her hands over her mouth. “He just ate four ounces?” she asks, and tears form in her eyes.

“Yes,” Peggy says proudly.

“And I missed it?” She sinks into the couch and sighs.

“He’ll be ready for another bottle when he wakes up in about an hour,” Peggy assures her.

I sit on the couch next to Sam and my knee brushes against hers. She quickly moves over, placing a throw pillow between us. I should have found something else for her to wear. One of my sweatshirts maybe. It feels wrong that she’s wearing a robe that other girls have worn. Girls who mean nothing to me. She doesn’t deserve to wear something that groupies have touched. I’m throwing them out tomorrow.

“Can I try feeding him when he wakes up?” I ask without even thinking.

Sam and Peggy both gasp and look at me. “Are you serious?” Sam asks, astounded.

Shit. Now what?

“I guess?” I reply timidly.

“Alright then. Let me go get changed.” She jumps off the couch and says to Peggy, “Can you bring Kai upstairs in a little while? Give me like fifteen minutes. I’ll fix him a bottle and bring it with me.”

Peggy nods her head and addresses me. “Are you ready?”

My body tenses up, and I realize I’ve made a huge mistake.

HIS SCREAMS ARE THE FIRST THING I hear when I reach the landing of the stairs. I don’t want to, but I continue walking toward his nursery. My heart pumps wildly in my chest and my hands are clammy. I can’t do this.

I can run right now. Down the stairs and out the door. Peggy left a few minutes ago, so there’s nobody to stop me. I can be at the airport in less than an hour and fly anywhere I want.