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The water reached under her breasts, seeping into her undergarments and the ends of her hair. The saltiness of the water was like a warm blanket, hugging her lovingly. Before she could enjoy the embrace, Valda steadied her by wrapping one strong arm around her waist, crushing their chests together. As Valda walked towards the deep end, Maris noticed that her feet were no longer touching the floor of the pool. Her breath hitched, and she wrapped her arms around Valda’s neck.

“Valda, wait a second.” Maris shuddered, her grip tightening.

“Is the water cold?”

“No, I—” Maris squeezed her eyes shut, as she hooked her legs over Valda’s hips. She held on to her for dear life, her entire body shaking. “I am scared.” That was an understatement. She wasn’t just scared, she was embarrassed. ‘A Sealian that doesn’t know how to swim.’ She would carry that for years to come if she didn’t learn how to swim right away. What if she never learned? What if she couldn’t learn?

“It’s all right to be scared. I am not going to drop you unless you want me to.”

“I can’t touch the bottom,” she said, her nails digging into Valda’s shoulders.

“I can, don’t worry. I got you,” Valda said, her other hand gripping her thigh. “I am not letting you go,” Valda said and by the way she clutched onto her, and how her face dipped as if she was staring at her, Maris knew she meant it outside the pool too.

“I am going to go further into the deep end. Is that all right with you?” Valda asked and Maris clung tighter. The air grew thick as she thought of something to say instead of ‘no, wait,’ instead of sounding petrified. Yet, Valda didn’t move except the hand that reassuringly rubbed her back. As her tension ebbed away, Maris was able to breathe again. Her hold on Valda relaxed. It felt like an hour had passed, but Valda didn’t push her. She stood perfectly still.

“You can move…” Maris finally said.

Valda dipped her chin in a small nod, her body shifted further into the pool, until the water reached her chin. Maris gasped, as Valda’s body floated. Letting go of her thigh, Valda treaded the water as her legs moved in circular motions.

Her stomach turned, and Maris pressed herself even closer. She whimpered as the water covered her shoulders and neck until only their heads were above the surface. Her breath quickened and she wasn’t sure what to do other than to hold on.

“Do you want to know how I learned to swim?” Valda asked, a soft chuckle escaping her.

Maris nodded, her eyes glued to Valda, trying to anchor herself to something—anything that will keep her focused other than on the fact that neither her nor Valda were touching the bottom.

“When I was ten, my mother and I went on a trip to Harmonia. I remember that day clearly because it was my first time on a ship. I was nauseous to say the least. On our way there, Arwin wanted to stop at one of Agenor’s islands for some reason. He grabbed a lifeboat and took me there, but we never made it. He thought that I needed to learn how to swim. So, he anchored the boat and… pushed me into the sea.”

Maris tensed, and she pulled back to look at Valda’s face. She was smiling. “Are you joking?”

“I am not.”

“Valda, that’s horrible.”

Valda shrugged. “I learned how to swim there and then. Sometimes you need to be pushed to your limits.”

“You— You are not going to do that to me, right?”

Valda’s frowned deeply; the smile gone in an instant. Shaking her head, she rubbed Maris’s back. “I would never.”

“Good.” Maris nodded, her hands relaxing, finding Valda’s nape and holding her hair.

“I do want you to experience this, Maris. You deserve to know who you are, to feel your heritage, to be consumed by it. You are a Sealian, these waters, are from your land and I am sure you can feel it calling to you.”

Calling. It was. Her chest felt warmer, her skin was covered in goosebumps, but that sensation of failure stayed in the back of her head, clouding her enjoyment of what was supposed to be something exciting.

“We can take a deep breath together. We can go to the bottom of the pool and just like that, I am sure you will know exactly what to do.”

“What if I can’t? What if nothing happens?”

“Then, nothing happens,” Valda said with a shrug and a smile. “All I ask is that you look at me, watch my movements and mimic everything that I do, all right?”

Maris looked down, studying Valda’s leg. Releasing her iron grip on the other woman’s hip, she began to kick her legs just as Valda was doing. Suddenly, one of Valda’s hands moved to grab hers, and she tensed again.

“Wait, Valda!”

“Maris, I need you to trust me.”

“I know but—”