The way my daughter stopped moving.
The way her smile vanished.
The moment she looked toward me for reassurance.
Then the towel.
The little turquoise towel with yellow sea turtles.
Caroline's shoe struck it.
It slid across the wet stone.
Then splashed into the pool.
Ava reached toward it.
I caught her immediately.
“Sweetheart, stay with me.”
She began crying.
“But Mommy's towel!”
I held her closer.
“I know.”
Caroline was already dialing the police.
Naomi hurried toward the steps.
She looked at me.
Then toward Ava.
“Malcolm, I'll get the documents.”
I nodded.
“Thank you.”
My sister looked toward Caroline.
“And you need to stop frightening my niece.”
Caroline raised her chin.
“I don't take orders from unauthorized occupants.”
Naomi's eyes widened.
“Unauthorized?”
Caroline looked smug.
“If your brother has a lease, he should provide it. If he's working here, he should call his employer.”
For several seconds, Naomi stared.
Then she said something that made Caroline's smile disappear.
“You're not confused. You're choosing not to believe he owns this house.”
Caroline's face hardened.
“Don't accuse me of prejudice.”
Naomi crossed her arms.
“Then stop making assumptions about us.”
I turned toward my daughter.
“Ava, look at me.”
She wiped her face.
“Daddy?”
“Are you hurt?”
She shook her head.
“Okay. I need you to stay beside me while we move to the steps.”
She nodded.
We moved carefully toward the shallow end.
I lifted her onto the wide pool step, then climbed out beside her.
Water streamed from my clothes.
My sister brought a fresh towel from the patio.
Ava wrapped it around her shoulders but continued staring toward the sea-turtle towel floating in the pool.
Her eyes were full of tears.
I looked at Caroline.
“You've been told to leave.”
She smiled.
“And I've called the police.”
I nodded.
“Good.”
Her expression changed.
“Good?”
“Yes.”
I pointed toward the gate.
“They can enter through the front and speak with everyone. We won't obstruct them.”
Caroline looked almost disappointed.
She had expected an argument.
Perhaps a confrontation she could describe as threatening.
Instead, I was treating the arrival of police as an opportunity to establish the facts.