Skinny Dipping

Daddy's Little Girl

A wicked grin crossed Matthew's face. "I want you to wow Roger further."

"We don't have to wow anyone further. Roger doesn't need you to show how you teach me new skills, this whole situation is about him believing that I'm in the water. I'm in. I'm in." She leaned closer to Matthew. "With luck, he might be satisfied with that and go and catch his train."

Matthew grinned. "Every lesson you have needs to further your skills fractionally. Otherwise you'll never progress towards actually swimming laps. So tonight we're progressing to floating."

Sophie scowled as her father sat fixedly in the grandstand seat. She finally realised what performance anxiety was all about, as she fretted over Matthew's ghastly floating instructions. "Face first in the water," Matthew said, as he explained how Sophie should lie like an alphabet letter, with arms outstretched. She'd stretch into an "X" or a "T" shape. From there, later he'd teach her to roll on her back.

"If I lift my feet off the bottom of the pool I'll lose control," she said between clenched teeth.

"How does it sound if we practice floating above the step? If you feel out of control, just grab the step. That way, you'll feel safe."

She nodded. Feel safe? Was he some kind of comedian? Sophie slid toward the step.

"Now watch." Matthew demonstrated, holding the step with his arms in a plank position. "See I'm holding my upper body like this." Matthew's biceps bulged as he continued with his commentary. Sophie averted her gaze from his buff physique and focused on his technique.

There was one notable and major concern in his demonstration: his legs. His feet were off the bottom of the pool, stretched horizontal on the surface.

Finally he demonstrated the exercise without commentary. In slow motion he put his head in the water. He released the step. His body hovered above the water. He floated. She counted the seconds he floated, wishing he'd stay there longer. For as soon as Matthew lifted his head up, Sophie knew exactly what was going to happen next.

It was her turn. She couldn't object, for her father was looking proudly at her. Oh the pressure!

Sophie clasped the step and extended her body behind her. Her feet remained firmly rooted like a tree to the bottom of the pool. Her two arms were solid in the push up position. She continued to hold her head and shoulders above the water.

She grinned. "Do I really have to lift my legs?"

He nodded, his eyes twinkling. "While holding tight, raise your legs. Then release."

Sophie tensed. Then with a rush of adrenaline she plopped her head face first into the water. Please don't drown. Please don't die. Please survive. Please impress dad!

Her legs stretched out. Her stomach somersaulted and flipped. An unearthly sensation funnelled through her body, like she was falling or flying. She was performing a Superman trick. No – Supergirl. She was Supergirl finding her powers as her legs rose to the water's surface with a will of their own.

As her legs floated behind, she sensed her body would topple over. Butterflies rippled up and down her body, as she struggled to find equilibrium in this position. Her body felt determined to drift away.

Sophie still gripped. The last instruction of this floating business was to release. She hated the pressing feeling of being pushed from her comfort zone. A gnawing fear crept through her mind.

This was it. Her moment of judgment. She didn't care who was watching anymore, whether it was her dad or Matthew. This was the time to face her fear. To face herself. She was not going to die. Not this time.