#Chapter 45: Sunny Days

Agnes The sun reflected off the clear blue water, the ripples shimmering like liquid glass in the late afternoon light as Thea splashed in the shallow end of the pool. She shrieked with laughter, darting around like a fish while two other kids chased after her. The sound of her happiness made my chest swell. I leaned back in the lounge chair, the cold glass of a tropical drink with one of those tiny umbrellas in my hand. I couldn’t remember the name of it if you put a gun to my head, but it tasted fruity and refreshing. Elijah, who had claimed he was ‘just supervising’ the kids, was now fully submerged in the pool. One of the kids, a little boy with a shark floatie around his waist, roared, “Sea monster!” and slapped at the water, sending a wave in Elijah’s direction. Elijah retaliated with a splash of his own, chasing after the kids and roaring like a monster. Thea squealed and launched herself at him, clinging to his back and giggling uncontrollably as he pret