She slipped through the gate like someone
sneaking into a party through the back door. The stroller she pushed was one of
the new ones with a detachable car seat, a basket underneath, and a lot of
pockets and accessories. The baby inside was just a few weeks old.
She sat in the shade beside the snack bar and
watched the pool in silence for a few minutes. She was wearing shorts and a
baggy shirt that hid her figure. Her legs were crossed and the foot that dangled
never stopped bobbing. With one smooth motion she pushed her hair behind her
ear, put her elbow on the picnic table, and laid her chin in her hand.
One of the girls noticed her and shrieked with
delight. A group of tanned and bikini-clad girls ran over to see her. Their oohs
and aahs were overly dramatic as they passed the baby around. They told her all
about the summer and caught her up on the latest news. She nodded
enthusiastically and chatted but never smiled. Her eyes kept cutting over to the
boys who were still horsing around in the pool.
Finally the baby made the full circle and ended
up back in her arms. He was fussy now, and she tried unsuccessfully to get him
to take his pacifier. One by one the girls slipped away and went back to the
poolside. One of the boys pushed a couple of them into the pool, kicking off
another round of shrieking and laughter.
A muscular boy with a dark tan and a red
swimsuit walked toward her. As he approached, she dropped her eyes and pretended
to be doing something with the baby. He went past her, got a soft drink from the
machine, and turned to go back to the pool. As he went by, she glanced at him
quickly, then looked down into the stroller. It was over in an instant, but the
sorrow in her eyes went on forever.
She is beginning to understand that even this
isn’t going to do it for her.
rlp
