"Let's do a swimming competition!" one of them said, and everyone quickly agreed.
Meanwhile, Alice had already fallen asleep.
"Tim, can you help me tuck Alice into bed?" Alva asked. He nodded, and together with Sam, they walked out of the room.
"Tim finally got a real girlfriend," Alva teased, and Cody nodded in agreement.
Tim's younger brother would soon be getting married, but everyone knew Tim wasn't the type to flirt around.
As Sam and Tim walked down the hallway, the only sound was their footsteps on the stairs. They finally reached her room. Tim gently tucked Alice in and was about to leave when—
"Let's go," he said softly.
But she didn't move.
"Everyone thinks we're really dating... Are we?" she asked Tim.
"Uhm... I didn't plan for it to be like this. I wanted you to be my fake girlfriend… but maybe, you could be the real one," he said.
She jumped into his arms. "Really?" she asked, her eyes wide.
He nodded.
Their lips were so close that even a blind man would have sensed they were about to kiss. But instead, she ruined the moment—licking his neck like he had done to her in the car, and nibbling on his ear.
Tim was shocked. This girl never failed to surprise him. He leaned in and kissed her on the lips.
"You know," he whispered, "I told you I want to wait until you're ready…"
She nodded, but then Tim said, "I was wrong. I want it now."He pushed her gently against the wall, but she reminded him, "This is a baby's room—Alice could wake up any minute."
"Unless she wants to find another baby lying next to her, from us," he teased.
She giggled and playfully hit his chest.
"Tim… after the party," she said.
He looked a little disappointed, but she kissed him again, and his smile returned.
They went back to the party, where everyone was gathered for the race.
"Are you participating?" he asked her.
"Yes," she said—after a pause, but with a smile.
****
Gramps stood by the edge of the pool, his hands cupped around his mouth as he called out, "On your track!"
The couples lined up at the starting point—Alva and Cody, Kyle and Sophie, Brian and Vicky, Theodore and Harper, Lisa and Alex, and finally, Sam and Tim. They were all smiling, some laughing, others full of mock determination.
"Are you ready?" Gramps asked, his voice loud and playful.
Encouragements echoed between the couples:
"Kyle, don't break the water!"
"Don't be afraid of it!" Alva giggled.
"Swim fast!"
"Don't lose this, Brian!"
"Theo, I know you've got this!"
"Sam," Tim whispered, looking into her eyes, "stay below me and don't let go."
Each pair gave their last pep talk before Gramps raised his hand high and shouted, "Go!"
A splash erupted from the pool as everyone dove in. Alva, Harper, and Sophie surged ahead, cutting through the water with strong, graceful strokes. Behind them, Cody, Kyle, and Theo did their best to keep up. Vicky struggled slightly, laughing as water splashed into her face.
"They still act like kids," Alva's mom said with a fond smile, arms crossed as she watched the race unfold.
Gramps chuckled beside her. "I haven't seen any of my grandkids this happy with someone. For a while there, I thought I wouldn't live to see great-grandkids."
Back in the water, the race was heating up—Alva, Harper, and Sophie were close to the lead. But something was off. Tim hadn't surfaced. No one could see him.
Beneath the water, Tim held Sam close, her body gently pressed to his as they swam together in perfect harmony. Their hands moved side by side, fingers brushing in rhythm with the water. They glided like a pair of rays in love, quiet and graceful, giggling silently as bubbles floated around them. For them, the race wasn't about speed—it was about being together, in their own world, below the surface.
They reached the end, Sam lifting her head first, eyes wide.
"We won!" she gasped, scanning the pool.
But when they looked up, everyone else was already out, drying off, laughing, and cheering.
"Oh… we lost," she muttered, catching her breath.
"We lost the race, not each other," Tim said, brushing wet hair from her face.
Just then, Cody's voice rang out from across the yard. "Hey! Stop playing lovebirds and get changed—we're starting the bonfire!"
Tim smirked, not even slightly bothered by the loss. He had his own kind of victory, and she was right there in his arms.