Day 238
To be fair, the reason I
remember is because of the all caps SCREAMING at me from the family
calendar. PICTURE DAY!!! I’ve written. In bold. With
three exclamation marks.
We arrive at the pool on time,
in our team suit. I pull the
completed order form from F.’s swim team folder and search for a pen to write a
check. I’m enjoying the brief and
unexpected calm of being on top of it.
What a novel and wonderful feeling.
“Shoot. I knew I forgot something,” my friend
says. She pats her pockets for
dollar bills before rummaging through her purse for a checkbook. “I don’t have any money.”
“I do,” I scribble out a check for her before she can
object. “What do you need?”
“I’ll get you the money
tomorrow.” I never doubt it for a
minute.
We hurry over to the kids who
are lining up near the diving board.
The photographer cajoles this one over an inch and tells another to stop
making a face. My friend checks
her watch. She’s got to be at
work.
“I’ll get the girls the
forms. Go,” I say.
“Really?”
I’m a stay-at-home mom who
spends everyday at the pool. Where
else am I going to be?
“Really,” I laugh. “Go.” She hands me the form and rushes out.
“On three,” the photographer
yells. “Big smiles!” The kids grin for the camera. F. makes a face. At least he captures my child’s true
self.
Done, the kids scamper back to
their towels to grab goggles for practice and nearly take out an arriving
mom.
“Oh,” she says, wearing a look
I’m familiar with. “It’s picture
day?”
