Nobody's Son by Shae Connor Page B

to get it over with. “Blow the air out slowly, then turn your head to the right, until your nose and mouth are out of the water, and take another breath. Turn your face into the water, blow the air out slowly, and then turn your head to the left and do the same thing. Just keep doing that, slow and steady. Stop if you need to, but if not, I’ll tap you on the shoulder when you’ve done enough. Okay?”
    Shaun nodded. He took a breath, as Con had instructed… and then he took another. And another.
    Third time’s the charm , he thought, and he lowered his head into the water.
    He kept his eyes closed and slowly blew out air, feeling the bubbles grow and pop against his skin. When he’d finished he turned his head to the right, and when his nose and mouth were free of the water, he took a careful breath and then turned back into the water again.
    It went easier each time, both putting his face into the water and doing the cycles of breathing in and out. He started counting eventually, and he made it to eight before he felt Con’s hand on his shoulder.
    When he stood straight and wiped the water away from his face so he could see again, it was to find Con grinning at him. “You did that like a pro.”
    Shaun laughed. “I did it like a kid.”
    “Not a single pause. No snorting up water. You did better than I did my first time.”
    He shouldn’t feel proud of that, but Shaun couldn’t help it. “So I passed lesson one,” he muttered. “What’s lesson two?”
    Over the next couple of hours, Con taught Shaun how to do a basic crawl stroke, then how to pair that with the breathing he’d already practiced. Learning to kick had come next, and then they stood between the deep and shallow ends, where the slope of the pool floor meant the water reached to Con’s chest.
    “So, final lesson for today,” he said. “We’re gonna put it all together. Do the crawl stroke the way we practiced. Don’t try to pull through the water.” He held out his hands on the surface of the water, palms up. “I’ll spot you, so you don’t have to worry about sinking.”
    Shaun swallowed back his nerves. Even with the small steps he’d taken today, he’d been able to feel how the movements would keep his body afloat. He’d known how it worked, but watching others swim and doing it himself were far different things. Still, taking that first step….
    “Whenever you’re ready,” Con said, ever patient.
    Shaun took a breath and leaned forward, letting his feet come up off the pool floor and willing his body to float. Con moved his hands to support him, one in the middle of Shaun’s chest, one low on Shaun’s abdomen.
    “Now swim.”
    Shaun shot Con a glare at the laughter in his voice, but he followed orders. It took him a few strokes to get his arms and legs to move in sync the way he’d practiced individually, and once that felt okay, he drew in air and then lowered his face into the water.
    He counted this time, lifting his head after every third stroke, alternating sides like Con had instructed. The pattern felt natural, like he’d known how to do it all along. In fact, it felt strange just hovering there in the middle of the pool instead of crossing it. He wanted to try it out for real. Yeah, he might sink like a stone, but he might not. He might glide through the water like he’d been doing it all his life.
    It’s worth the risk for the chance to feel that freedom.
    The thought made him stumble in his pattern. His arm slipped, his head dipped, and he ended up with a mouthful of water after all.
    He flailed on instinct, but strong arms closed around him, and in a few moments, he was on his own two feet, standing in water almost up to his neck, gripping Con’s upper arms. He blinked away the water in his eyes and almost regretted it when he saw the grin on Con’s face.
    “I think that’s enough for one lesson,” Con said. “You did great. Must have some natural talent.” He winked. “Or spent more time watching