I felt my blood boil. This was a flimsy excuse, and we both knew it. Lily swam like a fish, having spent countless summer days at our local community pool. This wasn’t about skill; this was about something else entirely.
“Susan, that’s not an excuse. Lily is perfectly capable of swimming. If you were genuinely concerned about her safety, you could have asked me,” I replied, trying to keep my voice calm for Lily’s sake, even as irritation simmered beneath the surface.
Lily stood beside me, her little hand clutching mine tightly. I could feel how upset she was, how keenly she felt the injustice of being singled out.
