"Come on piccola," the Italian man grinned, his arms out as the water around him started to get colder. "You've got your floaties on. Come to papa, piccola."

The ebony haired girl shrunk back against her mother's legs and shook her head. "No daddy."

Emily ran her fingers down her daughter's arms and bent down to her level. "What's the matter, baby?" Kissing her beautifully dark hair, Emily hugged the three year old to her chest. "It's just water."

"Scary," she whispered.

The FBI agent looked to her husband who was waiting in the pool they had installed in their back yard, a full fifteen yard expanse with a fence around it in case their beautiful little girl were to be out in the yard alone. "The water's not scary," the brunette smiled, kissing the three year old's cheek. "Daddy's in the water and he's fine."

Alianna took a deep breath. "Daddy's brave."

Emily giggled against her daughter's cheek and squeezed her arms. "Daddy's super brave," she agreed. "You know who else is brave?"

"Mommy?"

"Oh thank you," the mother of one gushed, kissing her dark hair. "But I think our little Tesoro is brave."

Alianna grinned, shrieking when her mother hugged her tight against her chest and kissed all up and down her cheeks. "Daddy help!"

Dave shook his head when the three year old looked out to him. "I can't help unless you come into the water, darling!"

"Papa!"

Emily met her husband's eyes before standing straight again. "Should mommy go in too?"

Alianna watched as her mother took the wrap from around her waist and threw it to one of their deck chairs before jumping into the water. "Mommy be careful!"

The brown eyed woman popped up from underneath the water and ran her hands over her hair, smiling up to her little girl staring at them from the concrete above. "Mommy's just fine, see?" She held her hands out and waved for her to come into the pool. "Come on, baby."

Fidgeting, the girl who loved to play with their dog Mudgie and draw princesses with Auntie Penny almost every weekend shrunk back.

Dave brushed his hands against his wife's before walking up to the edge of the pool. "What's the matter, piccola?"

"Daddy," she whispered, leaning toward him so he could hear her. "What if I fall?"

"Fall where? Into the pool?" The author reached up and squeezed at her floaties. "But you've got your swimmies on. Even if you fall, you're going to be ok because you're wearing them."

"I don't wanna fall."

Emily shared a pout with her baby girl.

"Piccola," Dave whispered, drawing his fingers across the deep dimples in her cheeks. "Is papa right here to catch you?"

Alianna puckered her lips.

"Papa is right here."

Emily stepped toward the pair and smiled at her daughter. "Daddy wouldn't let you get hurt, right?"

Alianna giggled. "No."

Dave clapped his hands, backing himself up to where he had been standing before and holding out his arms. "Alright piccola! Into my arms!"

Taking a tentative step forward, the three year old itched at her fingertips. "Daddy?"

"Daddy won't let you fall, baby," the woman in the water assured her daughter, tapping her hands against the water gently to try and usher her in. "Come on princess, you can do it."

Alianna huffed before she plugged her nose with two of her fingers and jumped into the water.

"Ali baby!" the author cheered with his daughter in his arms. "You did it!"

"I did it!"

Emily pressed a long kiss to her daughter's cheek and watched as she jumped from her father's arms and tried her best to swim around the shallow end. "She's going to be a great swimmer," she gushed, letting Dave wrap his arms around her from behind. "Maybe we should get her lessons."

"For a swim team?"

"Think of how competitive she'll be," the ambassador's daughter whispered, watching as Alianna swim herself in a circle.

The three year old's head spun. "No!"

Emily grimaced, hearing her husband laugh into her ear. "Ok maybe not."