[Ania] Learning to Swim (With Another)

Jacob's scouting was cut short by Ania. Looking down at the struggling girl, he thought better of trying to continue the lessons after this particular exercise. He knew that face well. She was running on fumes now. He nodded, knowing that they had already done a lot that day anyway.

"We'll nap after this. Just gotta make it to the stairs. See?"

He tilted to the side so she could see their destination: the stairs in the shallow end of the pool leading out. They were really close and Jacob had confidence that she would make it. She had already made it so far.

He knew she had made it once the backs of his legs bumped the stairs.

"We're here! You did it, Ania!"

Jacob let himself fall backwards a little to sit on the pool stairs as he pulled Ania closer so she could sit down too. He was beaming at her, proud that she had made it through the exercise in one go. The lesson had been a little awkward at times, to put it mildly, but it was always a good feeling to see a pupil having learned and tried something with his help and guidance. He gave the girl a good pat on the back and rubbed her shoulder a little.

"You did great today, Ania. You got the makings of a great swimmer. I'd be happy to give you more lessons some other time. Now, you think you'll need a hand gettin' up?"

"... Thank you, Ania..."

She called him a 'good teacher'. That was enough to warm his heart and pull the girl closer to his side in a bit of a one-armed hug. For all his thoughts from before, she still thought he was a good teacher, a good guide. She would definitely be one of his favorite students now.

"Well, since you asked nicely..."

Ania didn't ask nicely but Jacob could not turn down her pathetically cute plea. To him, she did not weigh much at all and was easy to scoop up into his arms like a bride. From there, both of them dripping wet, he stepped out of the pool and walked carefully over to the pool showers along the wall.

"We can have another lesson in a week if you want. That should be enough time for your muscles to stop being sore from the exertion today. Now lets get that chlorine off of us."

Without letting her out of his arms, Jacob turned the shower knob and got some warm water running. It was a little tricky, but Ania was so light and easy to handle he probably could have carried with one arm, maybe. Now it took even Jacob to become used to the idea of showering after getting out of a pool. They had just been in the water and they needed to wash themselves with more water? It didn't make too much sense on the surface. But after a long swim, it was nice to relax under some hot water and get the chlorine smell off of him.

When the water was right, he stepped into the spray with Ania, tilting his head back to let it wash over him for a moment. Then he looked down at the girl, smiling.

"Hey, thanks for trusting me still after I admitted that stuff to you, Ania. I... really appreciate it..."

Warm showers were an oddly comforting thing despite their forgettable ubiquity in the modern world. There was a subtle symbolism few managed to grasp as showering was simply seen as an everyday thing, mostly used to cleanse. But that was just it. Cleansing. The purity of warm water washing over your face and body as you stood in quiet solitude, basking in the steam and the sound of falling water. It was meditative. As one washed the dirt of the day from their body, there was a momentary washing of their mind and heart too. It was a few brief moments to simply BE, hidden away in the everyday. A momentary bit of meditation and serenity stealthily tucked away in those minutes before you went to bed or after you had gotten out of it.

That was the little epiphany Jacob had while he stood in the warm spray of water with Ania in his arms, her head resting underneath his chin. His muscles were just a tad sore from the demonstration he gave, but his mind was clearer. Ania was beautiful but he was a better man to keep himself at a metaphorical distance: an act that, surprisingly, made him feel even more for the strange young woman he held.

He gently nuzzled the top of her head... as he might when he carried his own daughter. As he turned the knob off, he talked softly to Ania, almost whispering as he cuddled her even closer.

"You're always welcome, Ania... And hey, if you ever need me, for anything, you can come find me."

To some that sounded like an unteacherly sentiment. Maybe not nearly as much as those feelings he felt before, but still in that realm. Jacob believed the opposite. A teacher was more than a public servant to regurgitate text and books. A teacher was an invaluable guide to the young, and people who needed it. They were an authority figure that was to be trusted while our young grew and developed. They were a guide.

"Before you fall asleep in my arms, at least tell me your Dorm number, hon. Unless you want to come back to my apartment, and I dunno why you would..."

Poor girl. It seemed liked she was serious about falling asleep in his arms. He chuckled quietly as she uttered a very familiar protest. It was familiar to him anyway. His daughter had said the exact same thing in the exact same way many many times before. It was always when it was late at night or after a big day, and the she was sleepy but did not want to admit it. Even the act of carrying Ania was reminiscent of those times. Even as she was carried to her bed, her head lulling against his shoulder and her eyes just barely kept open, she would protest and insist she was not sleepy. Inevitably she would already be dozing off when she was set in bed, just as Ania was as he set upright on a bench next to her stuff.

"I know, hon. I know. I'll get you changed."

It really was deja vu, except with a grown girl. As he sat her on the bench, he continued to let her lean on him as he toweled her off softly. She wouldn't be completely dry, but it would be enough to get her clothes on. Then it was the real challenge: Getting a mostly-limp sleepy girl into her pajamas or, in the case of Ania, into her sweats.

"Arms up..."

He hoped she was still coherent enough to work with him a little, otherwise it was going to be difficult to dress her. Either way, after getting her into her clothes and getting himself changed, Jacob picked her right back up with no hesitation and headed for the door. Jacob then realized he was softly humming to himself, or perhaps to Ania, as if trying to lull the girl to sleep himself. This time... He wasn't shocked with himself. He actually smiled and, very softly, leaned his head down to kiss the top of Ania's head.

"Sleep now, Ania... I'll tuck you in..."