Do you truly not want to swim, or do you want to swim but you’re afraid of what they might think?”
I remained silent for a moment.
“I want to swim.”
“Then why should you miss out?”
I took off my oversized dress.
My heart was pounding.
But just then, my little cousin called from the water:
“Emily! Come play with us!”
And I stepped into the pool.
Nobody laughed.
Nobody commented on my body.
The children played, the adults chatted, and Grandpa sat nearby, smiling.
I swam for almost two hours that day.
When I finally got out, I rushed over and hugged him.
“You gave me my life back, Grandpa.”
He kissed my forehead.
“No, sweetheart. I just reminded you that nobody had taken your life away. You’d simply become afraid to live it.”
Three months have passed since that day.
