"Of course you would. You're a man now, with a man's courage. You were practically a baby then," she said, moving over to sit on my lounge chair. "How did you ever learn to swim after that?"
I ran my hand through my hair, holding a handful of it as I recalled. "Walter. My father went away a couple weeks later and Walter spent the weekend teaching me how to swim. He wore this weird black suit that went from his knees to his neck." I chuckled softly recalling how Walter had had me practice over and over in the shallow water until I felt confident enough to go in the deep end, and then he'd come with me and let me hang on his shoulders until I told him I was ready to let go. "Later that year, I taught my brother to swim anytime my father was away so when he eventually tossed him in the deep end, he swam like a little fish. My father was so proud," I said, trying to sound ironic, but the statement came out with the true pride I felt. I had been proud of my brother and proud I'd secretly helped him avoid the terror and guilt I'd faced. I sighed, my hand dropping down by my side.
"It wasn't your fault," she said softly, seeming to know what I was thinking. "What your father did to you was an evil, awful thing to do to a little boy. Oh, Grayson, I'm so sorry you experienced that." She put her hand on my cheek, her expression gentle and filled with compassion. How wrong I'd been about the little witch. How completely, utterly wrong. As I looked into her forgiving eyes, something inside me felt as if it unclenched and began to drift away.
Why had I shared that story with her? She had this way of drawing out honest confessions from me. Was it because, tonight at the restaurant, amongst all those staring eyes, she had sought to make me feel as if someone was on my side? Was it because she was planning something—a party—in an effort to help me elevate my social standing in people's eyes, for no reason other than she cared and thought she could do something to help? Or was it because I suddenly felt this unexpected friendship and understanding from my unpredictable little wife? Or was there some kind of spell floating on the mist tonight?