The Luna Choosing Game by Jane Above Story

Chapter 0553

The next morning, after dressing in my one piece swimsuit, I stood in front of the vanity in the bedroom, trying to decide how best to wear my hair, as to eliminate the most friction and increase my speed in the water.

Swimmers, I knew, wore swim caps to cover their hair, but lacking that, I wasn't sure what to do other than tie it up in a ponytail and hope for the best.

Elva, already dressed for the day, watched me. She wore a look of determination, as if she was the one about to go out and race. I appreciated the solidarity.

More so, when she gave me a thumbs up and said, "You got this, Mommy!*

I laughed as I turned to her and scooped her up into my arms. "How can I not, when I know you will be cheering for me?" I said. "We both need to give it our best."

"I'll cheer for you," Elva said, "So do well, okay?"

her cheek. She wrapped her tiny noodle

little girl needed me to come back to her, so I would do whatever I needed to,

on how choppy the waves were today. That would

beach. She must have finished stretching early, because she was already sprinting

and a backflip, which she landed perfectly.

watching her made a deep kind of pit open up in my stomach. I knew

not part of the competition. I just had to run and swim

We met Veronica out on the beach near the deck. She had already begun stretching.

sign of the princes yet. Thoughts of Nicholas and I kissing out on the water flashed in front of my mind, but I pushed those memories down. Now was neither the time nor place to

because we were friends, but I now belatedly realized that I had more than just Bridget to watch out for in this