#Chapter 346: Scoping Out The Competition

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?” “Okay,” I said and kissed her cheek. She wrapped her tiny noodle arms around my neck. I held her closer. I would be careful, I’d already promised Nicholas. But now