Mel's Inktober 13 - Reid Swimming

One of the great things about owning an indoor pool is Reid can swim anytime he likes, whatever the weather. 

While he loves swimming outdoors best, he'll take any form of water that's big enough to cover him up.

And he finds something rather comforting about swimming in a somewhat warm pool in the middle of the night or the middle of a terrible storm. Don't worry, that part of the castle is in a sheltered area and that glass is super thick, though it still grants an awesome view.

That pool is just big enough to share with the public. But anyone who's not family or a close friend must pay a small fee to use it, and there are lifeguards on hand at all times as well as bodyguards. No one is ever left totally alone in the pool or the lake, least of all the kids. Pretty much the only ones who don't have to pay up are the Wiles, the Windwillows, the Byrnes, and Kaylee Drummond.

Swim times vary as far as Reid's concerned. Sometimes he'll swim for an early morning workout, sometimes he'll swim when he has a hard time sleeping, and many times he'll swim just because he's in the mood and he's got a little time to spare. But there's not a single week in which he does not take at least one big dip and none of those dips last less than an hour.

Even his own bathtub is deep enough to totally submerge himself, so he can still relax underwater. To him, it's absolute heaven to lie at the bottom of the tub, surrounded by hot water (but not hot enough to scald him) with a thick quilt of bubble bath on top, and if he has a shell with him, he doesn't have to worry about coming up for air anytime soon. He has to pretty much make himself get out.

He learns to love swimming so well for three reasons. One: he learned to not be afraid of the water after he almost drowned when he was five. That would be a traumatic experience for anyone of any age and no one would have held it against him if he never wanted to go anywhere near deep water again. It takes several decades for his uncle to conquer his own crippling aquaphobia.

Since Romulus is a pretty good swimmer, the reason he's so terrified is because he lost several loved ones to drowning, so he can still go in the water; he just doesn't want to if he can help it. That proves not to be the case for Reid, although he understands how his uncle feels and Romulus won't forbid him or any of his own children from swimming, just as long as they're careful. But Romulus does ask Reid not to use the shell too much in the indoor pool, because he just about had a heart attack when he found his nephew way down at the bottom.

Tallis is somewhere in the middle. He doesn't get wet nearly as often as Reid does, but he's less afraid of the water than Romulus is and he'll often join Kyla or Malachi in a swim. Sometimes he'll play with his nieces when they're taking a dip and they always have some fun with Uncle Tallis, a lot more fun than they would ever have with Aunt Ann.

Reason number two why Reid is such a dedicated swimmer: it's one of the few places where he can totally escape Tyrell, because Tyrell can't stand getting wet outside a shower and he'd sink like a rock if he tried. So, the water becomes Reid's personal haven.

And reason number three: he just loves it. It feels like he simply belongs there, so even after he and Tyrell finally make up, he still takes advantage of any opportunity to get good and soaked. It relaxes him so and provides wonderful exercise at the same time.

Later, all three of his kids learn to swim just as well, although Troy is the most devoted to the wet sport. And, of course, Kaylee Drummond learns to swim so well because of Troy and Reid, among several others. Despite Kaylee's mother and sisters frequently denouncing the sport as unladylike, Reid just tells her that's pure nonsense and she sees for herself how well many of the ladies in Reid's special circle fare in the water: Lara, Angela, Anna, Grace, Sara, Joanna, Mara, Tracy, Opal, even Cecily. Because Cecily and her family spent so many years next to the ocean and are so big about sailing, they saw the practicality in learning how to swim, too. "One way or another, it couldn't hurt," both Cecily's parents said.

While Reid has many other interests and passions, it's safe to say swimming tops the whole list.