Edward stood talking to Jessica, James, and one of the other helpers, explaining what today’s lesson was going to be as I walked up with the basket of colored bags. James and Jessica knew very well what the exercise entailed, given the near-disastrous way their own lesson in diving had ended nearly a decade earlier. It still amazed me how much she’d changed since then, though that was only natural, of course.
James, too, had changed a lot. Dramatically, even, since that day. Jessica was graduating high school this summer and James had started college last year at U—dub. They’d both decided to become helpers at the club around the same time and had been on friendly enough terms since he’d nearly drowned Jessica. It was somewhat surprising to me, but I thought it showed more about Jessica’s heart and ability to forgive and forget than anything.
All in all, both Edward and I were very proud of them and had happily taken them on to help in our classes. I grinned as I spotted Rose and Bella — both very pregnant — taking seats in the stands and waved at them. They waved back and I set about throwing the colored bags randomly in the pool for the kids to retrieve once class started.