“Papa, am I going swimming today?” Raven asked Jeff. The very first thing she said the moment she woke up.

So we enrolled Raven in swimming class. She has to start at the Tadpole Level because she’s starting from scratch. Jeff goes in the pool with her, thank God, because if I were brutally honest with myself, I would probably be in the Tadpole Level too, together with all the other toddlers.

Not that I can’t swim. I can. I mean, if it comes right down to survival and granted that sharks are out of the equation, I can probably backfloat my life to safety or die of heatstroke trying, whichever comes first.

I’m glad Raven loves the pool. Indoor heated swimming pools are great, especially now that it’s winter. And I feel especially grateful to have a husband who loves the water just as much as she does. Jeff might be allergic to laundry water but he happily wades in with her in the pool. He plays with her and keeps her company. He’s a pretty hands-on dad and I love him all the more for it. Meanwhile, there I am on the side benches sitting pretty just watching them two play like the kids that they are.

The last time we took Raven to the water park was in summer last year. This was before COVID hit Australia. ‘Social distancing’ wasn’t even a phrase yet but there I was, quietly blending into the grass and the concrete, happy to just watch and let everyone be.

Pandemic or not, that’s normally how I roll. And that’s exactly how I like it.

*Raven at 3 years old