MARiA POV
After finishing my shift at the café with Val, I felt the familiar itch to swim gnawing at me. It had been days since I’d last set foot in the pool, and my muscles ached for the release, for the numbing bliss I could only find when I pushed myself to the very edge. As I drove toward the community center, the tension of the day hung heavy, like a weight pressing on my shoulders. I needed that feeling of numbness, the quiet that only came when I focused solely on each stroke, each kick, each gasp for air.
When I finally dove into the pool, the cool water enveloped me, washing away the day’s residue. I started slow, lap after lap, until my body warmed and fell into rhythm. Gradually, I increased my pace, pushing myself harder with each pass down the lane. My heart pounded, and my
