Page 36 of Watching Henry

“Not what the clock says,” said Hadley.

“Agreed,” Henry said. “Em was super fast, well done.” He patted his little sister on the head and Hadley grinned at him. He was trying hard and the effort hadn't passed her by.

“That about wraps up the McLeod-Allan Olympics,” she announced. “Unless anyone would like a rematch?”

The three sweaty kids all shook their heads and Hadley looked out over the yard, littered with balls and hoops and all kinds of other equipment.

“In that case, there's one final medal to be had.” She dangled a small bag of chocolate coins from her hand. “The cleaning up medal.”

Henry snorted with laughter but Emily and Charlie looked up at her with big eyes. “How do we win that?” Emily wanted to know.

“Easy, whoever clears up the most equipment wins,” Hadley smiled. “So let's get going. Ready, set, go!”

“Who do you think you are, Mary Poppins or something?” Florence said.

Hadley turned. “I didn't hear you come in.” Then she saw Florence's face, the smudges of gray under her eyes. “Jesus, you look like hell. How was training?”

“Tiring,” Florence grumbled. “But over. And as agreed, I'm here to take the kids swimming.”

“Thirty seconds,” Hadley shouted across the yard. Henry, who had hung four hula hoops around his neck to free his hands, started picking up balls and Charlie began running around like a maniac picking up things that Emily was dropping.

“It might be a little Mary Poppins, but it works,” Hadley observed as the kids began piling things back into the storage room behind the house. “Make cleaning up a game and all of a sudden everyone wants to help.”

“Because you bribed them with chocolate,” Florence said, noting the bag in her hand.

“Well, no one's perfect.” All three children came running toward her, skidding to a halt just before they crashed into her. “Huh, that was a tough one to decide,” Hadley said. “Just as well there's chocolate for everyone.”

She handed out chocolate coins and then ushered the kids to the house to get their swimsuits on. Florence disappeared into her room to change and Hadley looked down at her muddy knees and sweat-soaked t-shirt.

“Actually,” she said to herself. “A swim doesn't sound like a bad idea.”

By the time she'd shucked herself into a bikini, tied up her hair, and found a hidden flip flop that was lurking under her bed, Florence and the kids had already left. Hadley let herself out into the garden, sun still hot and burning on her bare skin, then trotted down to the lake.

“What are you doing here?” Florence said in surprise when she appeared.

“A swim sounded like a more fun way to get clean than a shower,” Hadley grinned.

“Yay!” shouted Charlie, who'd overheard.

“No,” Florence said. “We swimandwe shower, Charles.” He pouted and ran off into the water to join his sister.

“You, uh, you don't mind do you?” Hadley asked. Why would she? It was a lake, it wasn't like Florence owned it. And yet there was an odd look on Florence's face.

“No,” Florence said. “No, no, not at all, of course I don't.”

“Great,” said Hadley, reaching up to strip off the long t-shirt she'd thrown over her bikini. “Because I'm boiling and I'm dying for a swim.”

She ran off into the water, splashing around and making Henry bellow and the twins squeal. It took a second before she noticed that Florence wasn't following her.

“Come on in, Flo!”

Florence wrapped her arms around herself. “No, actually, I think I'm alright.”

Hadley blew a stream of lake water out of her mouth. “Don't be silly, it's so hot. And you're already dressed for the occasion.”

Florence looked down like she'd forgotten she was wrapped up in a robe.

“Come on, the water's great.”