The next day...
Emilly was anxious and tense before the competition.
"Take it easy, daughter! You already trained a lot, now just relax and do your best," Catherine told Emilly.
Kim also encouraged Emilly. "You will win the medal, Emilly."
"We are proud of you, Emilly, regardless of the outcome," Steve said and kissed her forehead.
"Thank you, Dad," Emilly told Steve.
"John didn't come ..." Emilly thought aloud.
"He should be here already, Emilly. I don't know what happened," Steve said.
Emilly was upset and Steve and Catherine realized that.
"But me, your mom and your sister are here. Doesn't that matter?" Steve asked Emilly.
"Aw dad, that's all that matters," Emilly replied.
"Then go out there and show everyone that you rock!" Catherine told her.
The trainer called Emilly and Kim hugged her legs.
"I need to go, Kim. Wish me luck," Emilly said to her sister.
"Good luck, Emilly," Kim said.
The competition started and Catherine looked forward to Emilly's turn.
"Daddy, I want to see it too," Kim said to Steve. Steve picked her up and sat her on his shoulder.
"Go, Emilly! Go Emilly!" Catherine was screaming while Emilly was in the pool.
"Go Emilly!" Kim was imitating her mother.
Emilly qualified for the semifinals in third place.
Catherine looked at Steve and smiled. "I'm so proud of my girl, Steve!"
"Me too," Steve replied.
"Thank you for loving and caring for my daughter as if she was your daughter too," Catherine told him.
"You love and care for my son too," Steve replied.
"Yes, I do," Catherine replied.
"Get Kim off my shoulders, please," Steve asked.
"Oh, no, Mommy!" Kim complained when Catherine took her.
"When Emilly goes swimming again, I'll catch you," Steve told Kim.
Emilly was sitting in the locker room resting for the semifinals. "John didn't come, he doesn't care about me," she thought.
John was meeting with some friends from college, at the home of one of them, and told them he was going out to watch Emilly's swimming championship.
"Stay a little longer, John," Natalie asked. John had some dates with Natalie, but he never spoke of her at home.
"I can't, Natalie. I have an appointment with my family now," John replied.
"See you later, then?" Natalie asked.
"I won't be able to either. I'm having dinner with my family today. My dad wants to celebrate my job and my almost sister's swimming championship medal," John replied.
"But the championship is still going on. How can your father know if she is going to win a medal?" Natalie asked.
"Because she is good at this, and he is confident that she will win."
"And why is she your almost sister?" Natalie asked.
"Because she is my stepmother's daughter, and my stepmother is a mother to me," John kissed her quickly and left.
John hurried to the competition site and Emilly had already competed in the semifinals.
"What's up? What did I miss?" He asked Steve.
"You're late," Steve replied.
"I know, dad. I'm just asking what happened," John replied.
"She's in the final, John," Catherine replied, as Steve declined to answer.
"This is great, mom," John told Catherine.
Some time later, Emilly returned to compete in the final.
"Go, Emilly! You are the best!" John screamed loudly and Emilly smiled when she heard his voice.
"Daddy, I want to see Emilly again," Kim held out her arms for Steve to take her.
"Okay. Daddy catches you, my love," Steve replied and placed her on his shoulders again.
"Mommy, I'm taller than you," Kim said to Catherine.
'Yes, dear. You are too tall now, "Catherine replied.
Emilly and the other contestants entered the pool. Emilly did her best and won first place.
"Emilly won! My daughter won!" Catherine told a woman who was beside her.
"Congratulations!" The woman replied.
"Thanks!"
Steve put his arm around Catherine's shoulder. "Every day you left home to bring Emilly to practice was worth it now. Right?" Steve told her.
"Right, Steve. Right," Catherine replied. She was thrilled.
"Hey, it's not time to cry, it's time to smile," Steve said to Catherine.
"You're right. I'm going to help Emilly get dressed for the awards," Catherine replied.
"Okay. Take Kim with you," Steve said.
Catherine took Kim off Steve's shoulders. "Come baby."
"I'm not a baby, Mommy. I'm four," Kim replied.
Catherine laughed. "So come on, my little adult girl."
Catherine arrived in the locker room and Emilly was seated. Catherine sat down next to her and hugged her. "Hey, my champion!"
Emilly smiled. "Hi Mom."
"Are you happy, dear?" Catherine asked.
"Yes, mom. I'm happy, and tired," Emilly replied.
"So go get out of that wet swimsuit, take a shower and I'll help you get ready for the awards," Catherine told her.
"Emilly, I saw everything! You swam, and you swam and swam very fast. Cool!" Kim said.
Emilly hugged Kim. "Thank you honey."
Kim kissed Emilly on the cheek, and Catherine was happy that her two daughters loved each other very much.
"Mom, John came, didn't he? I heard his voice," Emilly said.
"Yes, he is there in the stands with Steve."
Catherine was apprehensive because she knew that Emilly had feelings for John and in her heart she expected him to like her too, although Catherine had told her several times to forget him.
Steve was sitting next to John and John's phone was ringing insistently.
"Answer that, John, please. It's pissing me off," Steve said.
John lowered his head and hung up the phone without taking the call.
"Was it your mother?" Steve asked.
"No," John replied.
"So who was it? Do you want to talk about it?" Steve asked.
"I went out a few times with a college girl, but now she won't let me alone, she calls me all the time, she is very insistent, she wants to control my life," John told Steve.
As father, Steve gave John his advice: "Run away from this girl, John. Finish this or you will regret it."
After Emilly received her medal, Steve hugged her affectionately. "Congratulations, Emilly. You were awesome!"
"Thank you. Without your encouragement I never would have made it," Emilly told Steve.
"Of course you could have done it. The credit is all yours, dear."
John came over and hugged Emilly too.
"Congratulations, Emilly. I'm proud of you," John kissed her forehead.
Emilly hugged him too. "Thank you, John."
"Where are Catherine and Kim?" Steve asked.
"Mom went to take Kim to the bathroom," Emilly replied.
"So let's wait for them to come back and we are going to home. We still have a celebratory dinner today," Steve told Emilly and John.
Catherine returned with Kim and Steve asked why she left him alone when the medals were handed out.
"Emilly's coach got me a place close to the podium," Catherine replied.
"Why?" Steve asked.
"Because I'm her mother," Catherine replied.
"But you were the only mother who watched closely," Steve complained.
"Are you jealous? Are you kidding, right Steve?" Catherine replied.
"I didn't like being left alone, Catherine."
"But you were not alone, you were with John," Catherine said.
"Let's go home," Steve picked up Kim and walked.
"I can't believe he's really jealous. The coach is old enough to be my dad," Catherine told Emilly and John.
Emilly laughed. "Don't overdo it, mom."
"Emilly! Wait, Emilly!" Someone shouted.
"Joshua?" Emilly asked.
"Yes, he's coming," Catherine said to Emilly.
Joshua ran to Emilly. "Hi, Emilly!"
"Hi, Joshua," Emilly replied.
Catherine pulled John and moved away from Emilly a little because she realized that Joshua was nervous.
"I just wanted to give you a gift," Joshua said.
"A gift? But it's not my birthday, Joshua."
"I know. It's a gift because you are the champion," Joshua replied.
"But how did you know I was going to win?" Emilly asked.
"I trust your talent, Emilly."
Joshua handed her the gift. "Can you open it only when you get home?"
Emilly hugged him. "Okay, Joshua. Thank you."
"You're welcome, Emilly. See you next week," Joshua told her and then walked away.
John didn't like to see Emilly hugging Joshua. "What a most inconvenient guy!" He thought.
Catherine returned and took Emilly to the car, where Steve and Kim were already waiting for them.