“But it’s going to be okay. Promise. I’m not going anywhere and neither are you. The way I see it, if I left you now, there would just be another two people in this world wandering aimlessly around with broken hearts. Two more people who loved each other more than they could bear, who were trying their hardest to live without the other. Anna, I didn’t know you then and you didn’t know me. But that doesn’t matter now. We know each other now, we love each other today. And we will love each other tomorrow and the next day and the day after that.” Anna was lying on the bed, her head in James’s lap, sobbing loudly as he tangled his fingers in her hair.

With so many raw emotions exposed in one go, both Anna and James were exhausted. “Just one more thing and then I’ll let you rest,” James promised as Anna stifled a yawn. “I’m living my life exactly the way I want to. I wish you had told me all of this when it was happening. At least then I could have done something about it.” James’s tears ran undisturbed down his cheeks.

“I wanted to…I just couldn’t,” Anna sobbed.

“I get it. I really do,” James cooed. “But next time something upsets you, or some asshole makes you think you are anything less than perfect, you tell me.”

“Why?”

“So I can kick their arse.” He grinned.

***

Michael

When Michael arrived home later on that afternoon, he was surprised to find Anna not propped up on the lounge in front of the television. I thought all women who were home during the day watched those dreadful American soaps. He chuckled to himself. Michael knew that James would kill him if he found out he hadn’t checked on Anna as soon as he walked through the door. Sighing, he wandered into the spare room.

Lying sound asleep on the bed was Anna and James. Her head was resting on his chest, moving steadily up and down with his breathing. They looked so peaceful and relaxed that Michael didn’t want to wake them. He glanced down at his watch and noticed the time. James should have been at training twenty minutes ago. Gently he leaned over and woke his sleeping son.

“James! Are you going to training? Look at the time,” Michael whispered, holding his arm out so James could see his watch.

“Oh, shit!” James cursed as he tried to wiggle his way out from under Anna without waking her. Luckily he still had his swimmers on from the morning’s session. Once out from under Anna he was running out the front door.

“When she wakes up, tell her that I’ve gone to training and will be back soon. Also…” James blabbered quickly. “Tell her that…tell her that I love her. And Dad, don’t let her go anywhere,” he warned him.

As Michael trudged back into the spare room, he wondered what he had missed to make James worry so much. Anna was starting to wake. Her eyes fluttered open slowly.

“Good morning, sleepy head.” Michael laughed.

“Hey!” Anna grumbled, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, checking for dribble. “Where’s James?”

“Gone back to training. And I’m to tell you that he’ll be back soon and you aren’t allowed to go anywhere,” Michael informed her, plonking himself down next to her. “You know what, Anna? You really do have that son of mine wrapped around your little finger. When he left here this afternoon, he looked so terrified that when he got back you wouldn’t be here and he would never see you again. You do realise your once private life is now public. Everywhere you go and everything you do is open to scrutiny. Everything you say will be taken out of context and used against you. You’ll be bombarded with questions about James, about you, and about anything else they feel like asking. Nothing is off limits. My boy would do anything for you. I hope you know that. Even if you asked him to give up swimming and move to the other side of the world, he would do it in a heartbeat. What I’m trying to say, Anna, is that my son doesn’t need me anymore. You’re what he wants and what he needs. He needs your love and your support and your unconditional friendship. He leads a very different life from you and me. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve a normal life. From now on he’s going to lead it with you standing beside him. I just hope nothing happens that will break his heart.” Michael smiled at her knowingly. Michael knew for as much as James loved her, Anna reciprocated.

“I know.” Anna returned his smile.

“Come on, let’s get out of here. Feel like a drive? Maybe we could head down to the pool. See who’s swimming.” Michael laughed.

***

Anna

After he packed her wheelchair into the car, Michael carried Anna out and strapped her into the front seat. She had temporarily forgotten about the pain in her ribs and the dull ache in her leg. Now she just felt heavy and embarrassed. Michael shouldn’t have to carry her about and baby her. They pulled into the car park and Michael parked in his designated spot. Soon enough, Michael was pushing Anna through the pool entrance and parked her wheelchair right behind the blocks. James’s coach, Joel wandered over to where Anna was sitting to see how she was doing.

“Well, look at you! All dressed up and nowhere to go.” Joel chuckled, leaning over to give her a chaste kiss. “I take it you’re you the one responsible for making my prize swimmer late to training?”

“Yep! That was me. Didn’t you like it?” Anna smiled sarcastically. Anna and Joel had always gotten along, ever since she first came to pick James up from training. Somehow they just meshed.

James had been lapping up and down the pool and stopped now to take a break while he adjusted his goggles as he chatted to Ian, a training partner at the other end.

***

James

“Hey! I didn’t know your Dad was scamming on your leftovers,” Ian cackled, pointing at Anna and Michael.

“I’ll race you to the other end,” James dared, pushing off the wall, heading towards the other end as fast as he possibly could. Shaking his head, Ian knew he had no chance of catching James, unless of course he wanted to be caught. When James went flat out there were only a very select few scattered around the world who could keep pace with him. That’s why he was the world record holder over more than one distance.

With a wicked glint in his eyes, Joel smiled at Anna. “Well, Miss Smartass, you’re going to help me with a little exercise.” Anna was defenceless as Joel picked her up and threw her over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. James reached the end of the pool and looked up. Joel was standing behind the blocks, with Anna clinging to him as if her life depended on it while Joel dangled her over the edge of the pool.

“Now, Mr. World Record holder who couldn’t even be bothered to show up to training on time…” Joel laughed hysterically. “Next up I want you to swim one hundred metres backstroke.”

“No troubles,” James sassed, offering Anna a wink.

“Hang on a minute. I’m not finished. While you’re doing your lap, you need to cluck like a chicken.”

“What?” James seemed confused. “One hundred metres clucking like a chicken? You’re dreaming, old man,” James replied, his eyes never once leaving Anna’s. There was no possible way that James was going to make a fool out of himself by making chicken noises.

“Cluck or else Anna is going swimming. In a plaster cast. The question is do you think she will sink or swim?” Joel chuckled wholeheartedly, enjoying the limitless power he had at this moment.

“You wouldn’t dare,” James could usually tell if he was bluffing or not, but today he had no clue.

“Swim! Or Anna will.” Michael had never seen James look so conflicted. Joel wiggled Anna about in his arms and held her directly over the water.

“Would you just start clucking already?” Anna begged, tightening her grip on Joel’s arms. At least if Joel tossed her in she wasn’t going in alone. “Cluck now, James,” she demanded. James pushed off the wall and started clucking. The rest of the squad were drowning with laughter. For the first time since Anna and James had gotten together Michael saw firsthand the power she wielded over his son. Joel slipped Anna back in her wheelchair and went over to the edge of the pool. James finished his laps and resurfaced.