Andre's chest tightened.
He understood the question.
Not simply whether Cynthia might physically return.
Whether somebody could come into their backyard again and deliberately ruin something they loved.
He took a breath.
“We've taken steps to keep the property secure, and the situation with Mrs. Vale has been handled through the appropriate authorities.”
Maya studied him.
He continued.
“You can tell us whenever you're worried.”
She nodded.
For a moment, she looked toward the pool again.
Then whispered.
“Can I just look at it today?”
Andre smiled.
“Of course.”
She slid off the stool.
Tanya took her hand.
And the three of them walked outside.
The afternoon sun reflected against the water.
A gentle breeze moved through the trees.
And the pool looked almost exactly as it had before Cynthia's attack.
Maya stopped several feet from the edge.
For a moment, she remained still.
Andre waited.
He didn't encourage her to jump in.
Didn't tell her everything was fine.
And didn't insist that seeing the clean water should make her feel comfortable immediately.
He simply stood beside her.
After a while, she looked up.
“Daddy?”
“Yes?”
“Can we put the birthday sign back?”
His eyes filled.
“The blue one?”
She nodded.
He smiled.
“Absolutely.”
That weekend, Andre retrieved the plaque he'd ordered months earlier.
It had been stored in a cabinet since the sewage incident.
He cleaned it.
Checked the mounting location.
And installed it beside the pool equipment enclosure.
MAYA'S BLUE WATER CLUB
SWIM SAFE, HAVE FUN.
When Maya saw it, she smiled.
Then she looked toward her father.
“It's still mine?”
Andre felt his throat tighten.
He crouched.
“Sweetheart, it was always yours.”
For several seconds, she stared at him.
Then she hugged him.
Andre held her.
And for the first time in months, he felt that Cynthia's actions were no longer defining every conversation his family had about their backyard.
The first gathering at the restored pool was deliberately small.
Andre invited Maya's swimming instructor, his parents, Tanya's younger sister, and two neighboring families.
The adults reviewed the usual pool-safety expectations.
The children were appropriately supervised.
And everyone understood that Maya could participate at her own pace.
Andre wasn't trying to recreate the party Cynthia ruined.
He wanted to make a new memory.
Something that belonged entirely to his family.
On Saturday afternoon, Maya stepped onto the pool deck wearing a blue swimsuit and a bright-yellow towel wrapped around her shoulders.
She looked toward the water.
Then toward her instructor.
For a moment, she seemed nervous.
The instructor smiled.
“Ready whenever you are.”
Maya nodded.
She approached the steps.
Stopped.