There were very few things Annie could do comfortably these days, now that she was and swimming was one of them. She had always loved the water, and had been an active swimmer ever since she was in highschool. It had been her main form of exercise in her first pregnancy as well. The benefits were just as good the second time around. It made her feel buoyant rather than heavy, coordinated rather than clumsy.
And it made her feel free. The water had always had that effect on her.
So, as many days as she could, she found a way to get down to the pool, even if it meant taking the bus. She changed into her bathing suit (which made her feel like a mermaid) and headed for the pool, sitting down on the edge.
It was a lot of effort to ease herself in, and it had been a lot of effort just to get here, so she sat to rest for a minute, her swollen feet dangling in the water to cool off. She couldn't help but smile when she recognized one of the swimmers. He was a frequent visitor to the pool, too, but their paths didn't always cross like this.
"You're still very good," she told him, lightly. She wasn't even sure if he'd noticed her yet.