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“My turn! My turn!” Zoey said “I bet I can stay up longer than daddy!”

“I bet you can,” I said, ruffling her hair “I bet anyone could”

“Hush, you did great,” Ereat for to be one of the next lessons, learning to ”

“Co on Emma's arm

“Okay, okay,” Eo”

E out with Zoey for her first tiuide her I watched as hter – dropped their boards with a splash and paddled out in the water

I was a tiny bit nervous as I watched theured that was nor the tomen they loved out on the open water like that, but I had faith that E I trusted her with Zoey She was probably the only person alive I trusted withwent, there was absolutely nobody I trusted more than Emma

As soon as they got far enough out, Eot into position Slowly, they both stood up Zoey ht she would She'd been practicing for soer to show off her skills to everybody E they needed to do to maintain their balance and not fall off I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I could see it

Zoey wasn't up for long, though, she was still probably on her feet longer than I had been, before she fell off the board and splashed into the water Emma quickly jumped in after her and I sucked in a breath My heart raced as I waited for therowing nervous as a wave crashed onto shore

“Daddy, where are they?” Zack asked me

“I'rew dry “You wait here, buddy Daddy is going to – ”

I started to say I was going to help, but that's when I saw Emma and Zoey's heads pop up over the wave They were fine, in fact, they were laughing together Eain This ti her hands above her head, a wide smile plastered on her face Eht, and then ain

They practiced a few more tier before they fell into the water again And each tile tiether and were perfectly were fine Zoey was a strong swi over her, as well Euard as well, she knehat she was doing Still, the idea of losing sohed heavily onGina, it had becoest and most perpetual fears

Zack held my hand and looked up at me “I don't want to do that, daddy,” he said

“You don't have to, buddy,” I said, ruffling his hair “If you don't want anylessons, you don't have to take them”