A/N- Hey peoples, sorry for the wait. I've been booked the last couple weeks, so my updates have kind of been coming slow. But I'm still updating, no doubt. :)
Read and review away!
-Rainy
Allele pops her head up from the pool water. "Aunty Rachel, did you see that?" She yells from the water. I look up from my fold-out pool chair.
"I sure did, Allele! Keep going, your doing great!" Believe me, I wasn't just saying this. She was honestly a really good swimmer. "Are you on a swim team?" I ask. She swims gracefully to the edge of the pool and pulls her goggles off, her wet blond hair flying out in all directions. Her eyes are red from the marks that the goggles make, but she didn't seem to mind.
"Well, a swim team said they were interested in me joining." She says.
"Oh really?" I respond. "That's cool. So did you join?" Allele's face turns to disappointment as she dips her head under the water, then back up, her smile coming back.
"Mommy said that I couldn't join. She said I might be too busy this summer."
"Oh." I say. After a few moments of silence, Allele breaks it.
"Um, Aunty Rachel? Why couldn't Mommy come to the pool with us?" She asks. I smile down at her wet face.
"Mommy had things to do." I say, knowing that isn't the real reason why she couldn't be here. Annabeth had wanted me to talk to Allele about camp, even though I knew next to nothing about it. All Annabeth told me to do is ask her daughter what her opinions are on being away for a while.
"Annabeth, do really want me to tell her first?" I had argued earlier. Annabeth just gave a look of uncertain defeat.
"Rachel, I'm trying to do what I think is right." She had told me, like she had said years before. I knew she had great trust in me, although I wasn't exactly sure why.
"Allele, why don't we dry you off? We could go get some ice cream if you want." I tell the young swimmer, who is already lifting her self out of the pool.
"Ice cream is high in fat. Can we get a smoothie?" She asks. What can I say? The girl had a point.
"Okay, Allele. We can get a smoothie.
A few minutes later, me and Allele sat at the smoothie bar, Allele's hair still stringy from the water. I got comfortable in my chair and drank my berry-mango smoothie with her.
"So Allele, there's something I want to talk to you about." I say. Allele looks up, curiously.
"What is it, Aunty Rachel?"
"Well," I start, unsure of what to say. "I was talking to Mommy today."
Allele takes a carefree sip of her smoothie, which is a frothy pink color. "Mommy? What did she say?" Allele asks. I fold my hands over my smoothie cup before answering.
"Mommy wants to take you to a camp this fall, you know- to see how you like it." I say to her. I wasn't exactly sure if that came out right, because Allele gave me a nervous stare.
"But...I'm supposed to go to school in the fall." She says, uneasily.
"Yeah, that's the thing. Mommy thinks this camp will be a good thing for you." I say, reasuring her. Or at least trying to.
"Are my friends going to camp?" She asks. I shake my head.
"No, I don't think so. You'll make new friends, though." Allele didn't seem too reassured. "Listen, you'll just be going to look around. I don't know for sure if you'll be going to the camp yet, okay?"
"Fine."
When we arrive back home, Allele falls asleep, and Annabeth carries her upstairs to her bed. After she settles Allele in, Annabeth comes back downstairs to talk to me.
"Rachel, thank you sd much. I can't really explain how much I have to thank you for." She starts off. I nod.
"Really, it's fine." I say. I drum my fingers against the marble counter top. "So when are you taking Allele to camp?" I say. Annabeth pulls her long wavy hair back into a ponytail.
"Gosh, I really don't have much of a plan, but I'll get her there soon. The sooner, the better." I nod in response.
"Yeah, good point." I say. Annabeth smiles a little, then it draws away.
"Also, there is something else I'd like to talk to you about... something that I haven't told anybody else yet." She says. I just stare at the counter for a second before responding.
"What is it?" I say plainly. Annabeth smiles weakly.
"Rachel, I'm pregnant again."