"All progress is good progress," she said gently, her voice steady and encouraging. "Keep doing what you’re doing, and I’m confident you’ll get there."
Her reassurance hit a soft spot, and I offered a small smile. "Thank you," I said sincerely, the words carrying more weight than I expected.
"Oh, it seems we have company," Stephanie said, glancing over my shoulder.
I had been so absorbed in our conversation that I hadn’t noticed the faint creak of the locker room door. Turning to look, I felt my eyes widen as Alexander strode toward the pool, dressed in nothing but a pair of swim shorts.
My pulse quickened, and I suddenly became acutely aware of just how much skin my own swimsuit revealed. It took every ounce of self-control not to fold my arms across my chest in a futile a
