When I reached the back wall I spun around and put my elbows over the side to support myself as I coughed.

Daddy Phil had rushed to where I was and squatted down in front of me as he said, “Nice wipeout.”

“No it wasn’t! It was a stupid mistake that shouldn’t have happened!” I said chastising myself.

“Ah, don’t beat yourself up.” He then asked me, “Do you know why we fall?”

I couldn’t believe Daddy Phil had just asked me that. I looked at him and said, “Oh come on! That is from Batman!”

He laughed, “That doesn’t make it any less true, does it.”

I smiled as a form of agreement and surrender.

He reached down into the water to help me out, “Come on; get out of there. We’ll get you diapered and then get some food in your belly. Beth is cooking this morning. I convinced Micah to go ahead and take the day off. She’s been working entirely too hard.”

Daddy Phil put his hands into my arm pits and lifted me right out. He then wrapped a towel around me and dried my dripping hair.

“And while you guys are eating,” he continued, “I am going to take care of a couple things.”

He started looking for the controls for the pool and I had to tell him, “It will turn off automatically when we leave the room.”

“Really?” he exclaimed, “Now that is fancy!”

We weren’t even halfway through the weight room before it happened. I hadn’t been wearing any diaper because I had been in the pool so my bladder emptied into my swim trunks and ran down my legs.

“Ah man!” I groaned and came to a stop.

For some reason I started to cry, which was really dumb because it’s not like I haven’t had accidents in the past few months. And besides I had just had an accident while sitting, talking with Jacquelyn, so I don’t know what the big deal was about this particular time.

“Hey, hey, hey.” Daddy Phil said as he squatted down so that he was at my eye level, “It’s just a little salty water! It’s nothing to get so upset about.”

And I knew he was right but even still, I couldn’t stop crying.

Daddy Phil then pulled me toward him, I buried my face in his chest and the two of us lowered to the floor. Daddy Phil didn’t even complain or even comment on the fact that he was sitting in the puddle of my pee while cradling me in his arms and letting me cry.

“Go ahead! Let it out!” he said as he patted my back, “Just let it out!”

And boy did I ever let it out. We’re talking a flood of snot and tears that would have rivaled Noah’s flood.

“I want my Mom and dad back!” I sobbed.

“I know you do.” He said.

I kept saying it and he kept holding me tighter and tighter.

I didn’t hear Grandmother come in while I was crying. I guess she came to see what was taking us so long. When she seen and heard me carrying on like I was, she asked Daddy Phil to carry me up to my room and she would have my breakfast sent up to me but I objected.

“No, I am ok.” I said while still huffing and wiping my face with a corner of the towel.

“You should rest a while child.” Grandmother suggested.

I shook my head and wiped my snotty nose with my towel which smelled of pee and chlorine.

“We should at least get you cleaned up.” Grandmother said taking my hand and helping me up.

“I’ll clean up in here.” Phil told her.