Page 26 of Turning the Tide

"I bet I can!" I stand, and she takes off, running toward the playground as I chase her. I stay a few steps behind her, letting her feel like she's faster. She stops at the steps that lead up to the castle-themed jungle gym, turning toward me.

"This is the only way I can get up. I'm too small for the rock wall or the ladder."

"I could help you if you want."

The corner of her mouth tilts upward into a smirk, "You won't let me fall?"

"No. No way. I am too strong to let you fall," I flex my bicep, earning a giggle, as she walks over to the rock wall.

I help her by showing her where to place her feet. Her tiny tennis shoes and tanned legs looking small against my hands. She reaches the top, jumping up and down with excitement, "Mama! Mama! Did you see that? I just climbed that all by myself. Jameson barely helped me!"

I chuckle as she runs to the top where the slide is. She slides down and grabs me by the hand, dragging me to the swings.

"Okay, Jameson, sit in that swing next to me."

She points at the swing, her bossy attitude reminding me of her mother.

"All you have to do is move your legs back and forth like this, and nobody will need to push you."

I laugh, swinging next to her. Listening to her instructions, as she thinks she is teaching me how to swing. Just when I get as high as I can go, I jump.

Ellie screams, dragging her feet on the black rubber mat to slow herself down.

"Are you okay?" She gapes as I grab the chain on her swing, slowing her to a stop.

"Yeah, have you never jumped out of the swing?" I raise an eyebrow, and she shakes her head vigorously.

"Do you like to jump?" I ask.

"Sometimes I do. I like to jump on JC's trampoline."

I laugh, "Sometimes I jump out of planes."

"What?" She asks, her eyes wide as saucers.

"How do you not die?"

"Well, I have a parachute. You pull the chute before you hit the ground, and you glide down."

She gives me a questionable frown, pushing her blonde hair out of her face, "Why would you do that on purpose?"

"I like to do things like that."

"Not me," she whispers, "Mommy wouldn't like that. It would make her afraid."

Hanna saunters over to where we are talking on the swings, "Mama, Jameson jumps out of airplanes for fun. Isn't that crazy?"

She laughs, "For anyone other than Jameson, I'd say yes."

We walk along a brick paver path, fountains and statues placed strategically along the way. The trees are blanketed over us. What little light shines through is like stars in the middle of the day, the moss dripping delicately from the branches. Ellie reaches for my hand, sending my stomach into somersaults. This little girl already holds me in the palm of her tiny hand. As does Hanna, but I can't tell her that.

We walk to a small cafe right outside the park, it isn't quite dinner time yet, but Ellie wanted a snack, "Man, those milkshakes look so good," I smile, nudging Ellie with my hand.

"You can't have a milkshake. Grammy says milkshakes and cake will spoil your dinner."

I look to Hanna, who shrugs, "Ellie bear, Grammy isn't here. If you want a milkshake, you can have one. It's okay to have a treat every now and then."

She looks to me and then back to Hanna, "Maybe just a small one."