Chapter 15: June Arrives in April

Eight-thirty was indeed a surprise. Sanchez was back, this time with a younger Hispanic male in tow.

"Mrs. Hunt, this is Raul Asnar. He's been in our intern program for several weeks, and he's been assigned to work on your file, under my supervision."

"How do you do?" I said, shaking his hand. "Laura Alban Hunt."

"Lydia says that you and I share something, Mrs. Hunt."

I looked him in the eye as he continued.

"My brother lost his right leg four days after 9/11, when rubble shifted while he was searching for survivors. He's NYFD."

"Give him my respects and my thanks. My daughter's too," I told him.

I could see it in his eyes.

"I would have been a fireman, but he's my big brother; he thought I'd be pretty stupid to waste a master's degree in social work doing what he did. So here I am."

And you would, I thought, have given your own leg, if you could have been there. I was going to really, really thank Marybeth!

"I just wanted to introduce your new case worker," Sanchez said. "He'll be your contact after this."

"Thank you," I said mildly. And if I never see you again, it won't be too soon! But it would have been very unprofessional to jump up and down and clap with glee at the thought I might never see her again.

They drove off and I went inside to have my first glass of tea of the day. I'd just gotten it poured when someone knocked on the front door. I was hoping it was Raul; I wanted to talk to him again. Instead it was a trio of girls Susan's age, none of whom I recognized.

The one in the lead was implausibly thin. I mean, I didn't see how a human being could be that thin. I think I could have put my fingers around her waist; I surely could have done it around her thighs. She looked to be thirteen or fourteen; so did the rest of them.

The other two girls were taller, not heavy but a little heavier than average for their weights. A little buff, I thought, they reminded me of Nancy.

"Hello," the skinny rail said. "I'm June Wheeler."

"Hello, June Wheeler. What can I do for you this morning?" Why aren't you in school? I was tolerably sure I was about to be hit up for candy or magazines.

"Were those social workers that were just here?" June asked.

Okay, the change of subject was confusing; I wasn't thinking when I answered her. "Yeah. Nothing better in the morning, let me tell you. I won't feel like eating until noon."

One of the other girls said, "Right on!"

"You have a daughter, someone told me," June said. "Is she in trouble?"

"I'm helping out at Scottsdale High with the cheerleaders. One of the girls there is having problems. I will fix them." I said that with the same confidence I would have had if someone were to ask if I was going to get out of bed in the morning. You bet!

June nodded. "What we wanted to ask is if we can swim in your pool." She went on quickly, "Only when you're here, we'll knock and ask. You can set any rules you want."

"There are a dozen pools on the block," I pointed out, curious.

The two girls in back traded glances. June just met my eyes. "You had a party Friday, another Sunday, a while ago."

"And another this coming Saturday," I told her, nodding. I saw June's eyes widen, saw the other two trade glances again. I got the distinct impression that this was not just a little unusual, but extremely unusual. What was unusual about pool parties?

"Girls, I have a little proposition for you. Come in, sit down; I've got tea, soda, just about anything you want to drink. Accept my hospitality... then tell me why you are surprised at the idea of pool parties."

"You're new," June said.

"Please, come and sit, relax. I promise to listen, and since I'm a homebody, I will at least consider saying yes to your request to swim. So, please."

It took a minute to get them all settled. June wanted ice tea, so did the older looking of the other pair. "What's your name?" I asked as I handed it to her.

"Sylvia Courdes."

I turned to the last girl. "What would you like?"

"A Seven-up. I'm Toni Courdes."

"Ah, you must be Mormon!" I joked.

All three of them laughed, and Toni shook her head, looking confused. "I'm Presbyterian."

"Are you and Sylvia sisters?" I asked.

"Sort of," Sylvia said as we all sat down on the deck table. "We're both adopted." I decided that was a hint to change the subject.

"So, June. What's so unusual about being new and having so many parties?"

She looked away, not meeting my eyes. "You don't know. I was hoping we could just ask and not tell you."

"Know what, June?" I asked, patiently.

"Why nobody with a pool ever lets someone else swim in it. If someone does something stupid, if they run, slip and fall... you get sued. If someone falls off the diving board, you get sued. Some kid from China burrows up, falls in and drowns... you go to jail."

Memo to self. Call my father-in-law; make sure the money goes offshore yesterday.

"That bites," I told her.

"Thanks for the drinks," June said, starting to get up.

"Sit, please." She looked at me, and then sat back down.

"First off, I haven't given you my answer; second, it's impolite to eat and run."

The two, sort of sisters, laughed, June shrugged.

"Tell me, June, are you and your friends responsible and willing to follow my rules?"

"Yes," June replied, hope again in her eyes. A more honest hope, I thought.

"Just you three, okay? Not any of your friends you decide to invite over. I am not an ogre; ask me first if you want to do that. I am, you will find, not unreasonable."

"Next, you will invite your parents over before you swim the first time. I will shake their hands and tell them you are responsible girls and if they don't have a problem with your coming here, then I don't either."

"Yes, ma'am."

"It's Laura Alban Hunt, people call me Laura."

"Thanks, Laura."

"Common sense rules," I told them. "Rule one: like I said, I don't like surprises. I will know when you are here; you will tell me to my face -- telling my daughter or my boarder doesn't count as telling me. No guests unless I know and approve in advance. I reserve the right to ask you to leave. The future will largely depend on yourselves. I'll work up other rules; I'd appreciate it if you have suggestions of comments, if I've overlooked something."

June nodded. "We are home schooled, Laura. Mom tried a private school but..." She shook her head. "You'd think, looking at mom, they'd understand."

"I'm not sure I understand."

June got up, waved down at her thin frame. "Mom's small, my grandmothers are small, and so forth and so on. At least once a year someone sics social workers on us saying I'm abused, that I'm anorexic, that I have eating disorders. They say I'm something I'm not. I'm just skinny, that's all. And let's face it, when you weigh 75 pounds you just don't go down to McDonalds and chow down on two big Macs, a super-sized fries and giant coke. I just don't eat as much as some of the porkers in school."

I laughed. "Have you ever been to the South?"

June shook her head.

I went on, "I went a couple of times with my husband to Atlanta. They have a chain of restaurants called 'White Castles' down there. They make itty-bitty hamburgers." I held up my fingers, a couple of inches apart.

"Oh cool!" June said with a laugh.

"Can we swim now?" Sylvia asked.

I looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "One of two things wrong with that, Sylvia. Either you forgot one of the conditions already or you're already trying to fudge on them. I'm not a baseball umpire; I'm a mom with a swimming pool. I will decide how many strikes it takes before you are out."

"Can we run home and get our moms?" Toni asked. "Right now they are sitting around planning how much homework they're going to give us this afternoon."

"Fathers?"

"Working!" all three said at once. Their voices harmonized, it was kind of cool... and equally obvious it was no surprise to them.

"Get your moms. Remember the rules better next time, Sylvia. Tomorrow is another day and I will have met both parents before you can come back."

They were off, like rockets. I smiled; it's just not sex, the energy and general outlook on life of kids was jazz, all by itself.

The phone rang and I picked up. "Laura." It was my father-in-law.

"Gosh, Dad. It's hardly nine here. How did you know I wanted to talk to you?"

He chuckled. "I'm going to Boston later, so it was now or much later. I've sent you a great wad of stuff on offshore. Look it over and get back to me. I hope you're free this afternoon. I took the liberty of making an appointment with you at the law firm of London, Hirsch and Carter in downtown Phoenix for one this afternoon." He gave me an address and phone number.

"I have changed my mind about the offshore, Dad."

"Oh foo!" he said with a laugh, "Women!"

"No, you don't understand. I want it done now. I mean, start today if you can, Boston or not. I want four percent left in accounts here, the rest scattered in a variety of safe places. I'll study it later. Until then, do what you think is best. You're not exactly an amateur when it comes to investments."

"No, I'm not that." He paused and asked the obvious question. "You're sure you're not in trouble?"

"I just learned that a swimming pool is a lawsuit magnet. A local urchin was boggling at the idea of three pool parties in three weeks. I understand that most people only let their immediately family swim."

"That's what it's like there, too? I was thinking that since so many houses had pools in Phoenix, they had some sort of special rules."

"Yeah, lawyers get rich, the rest of us get screwed." There was a knock on the door. "I have to run, Dad. Thanks for everything. Let me know what's going on."

I went to the door; the three girls were back and the two mothers. I stuck out my hand to the short skinny one. "Let me guess, you're June's mom?" I told her with a laugh, "I'm Laura Alban Hunt."

She laughed and shook my hand. "Karen Wheeler. Now, how on earth could you have guessed I'm June's mother?"

Because she was about four-ten and weighed maybe 90 pounds.

"And I'm Gus Courdes." The other woman was tall, rather blonde, also thin, but more along my lines.

I smiled at her too. "I help out with the cheerleaders at Scottsdale High. A girl last weekend said her name was 'Fred.' As in Winifred on Angel. If your name is from another TV show, I'll have to admit being a complete TV illiterate."

"The girls like Buffy more," Karen said.

I could see three girls champing at the bit. "It's Augustina, Gus works for me," the other woman chimed in.

"That's pretty much what Fred said, too."

I looked at the three teenagers. "You may walk, not run. Splash some, but not all, of the water out of the pool... I would like it if the neighbors don't complain about the noise."

They did a very lady like, albeit rapid exit towards the pool. "How about you come and sit with me pool side? I have all the usual potables," I told the two mothers.

We went out and sat, chatting idly in the early morning sun.

"It's nice you letting them swim." Karen said. "I was surprised they worked up the courage to ask, more surprised you agreed."

"We moved here from New York right after the first of the year. I plead ignorance. However June was kind enough to explain the issues... before, I might add, I made my decision."

"I understand you are a widow?" Karen asked.

"Yes. I have a thirteen-year-old daughter, Susan, who will be starting at Scottsdale next year. I'm already working as a volunteer with the cheerleaders. I'm surprised she hasn't met your three daughters, she met Jamie Kellogg fast enough."

I saw them glance at each other; no expressions, just an exchange of looks. "Probably because they're in the same class at school," I finished lamely, curious why they had issues with Jamie.

"Linda Kellogg is a big volunteer too," Karen murmured. "A little stuck up."

"And I'm not," I told her. "Maybe we got off on the wrong foot; I realize cheer carries baggage with some people. I blew it when I was Susan's age. I never made it. I have never, ever, pushed my daughter. I told her the options, what I thought would be good for her. That was when she was little. She's getting pretty good at figuring out options, less interested in listening to advice as she's gotten older."

"Not like we don't know about that!" Gus said with a chuckle.

"A couple of weeks ago, June saw a girl at the mall, with a stud in her navel, and a 'cute' dragon tattoo that curled around it. She just had to have one just like it," Karen spoke, shaking her head.

"I have already planned what I'll do if Susan gets the urge: I'm going to make her watch someone get a tattoo first."

"Work's like a charm!" Karen said. We all laughed.

But, you've changed the subject, haven't you? Is it you don't like cheer, don't like Linda or don't like Jamie? Or some combination of all the above?

"Going back a bit, I kind of lost my train of thought." Neither of them looked concerned. "I'm having a party here Saturday afternoon. 1:00 PM." I waved at the pool, "They are invited."

I kept looking at the pool, not at my guests. "I've invited Jamie; Linda will probably be here too. Some of the other adults involved with cheer will be here, along with a lot of the girls."

I could sense the hesitation. I turned to look at Karen. "Look, I'm new, and I'm not interested in taking sides. I've only worked with the cheer people a short time; they've asked me to handle, ah, let's be polite and call it conflict resolution. Discipline. They did not ask me to do that because I take sides and play favorites. It's because I don't."

"Last year," Karen said quietly. "Jamie started ragging June about her size. It went on a couple of days; June's usually pretty immune to it, but she had just started her first period. It was pretty rough on her. Yes, June lost her temper, but she just called Jamie an asshole and turned around and started to walk away. Jamie knocked her down from behind -- that's when June got up and punched her."

Karen shook her head. "Laura, my dad was a Pennsylvania coal miner, as were his dad and granddad, so forth and so on for the last two hundred years. Don't let Susan arm-wrestle June. We are... wiry strong. Way strong. Jamie started it, June finished it. She broke Jamie's nose, loosened some of her teeth. Linda is suing us. That's when we opted for home school. Who needs that?"

"I promise there will be no problems at the party. These girls... cheer is something a lot of them have dreamed about, worked hard to achieve. I know that's true for Jamie and Susan and some of the others. I can't excuse past behavior, I won't. But it won't happen here."

Again they passed looks. "It'll be up to the girls," Karen said. "I won't be there."

"That's your choice. I'll talk to Linda." I'm willing to bet that if Marybeth knew about that lawsuit, she'd step on it like a bug. Probably Linda would get stepped on too, while she was at it.

I looked Karen in the eye again. "I appreciate it that you left it up to the girls."

Karen shrugged.

I got up, stepped over to the poolside. "I know you're having a good time, but I'd like to talk to you. If you could get out for a second."

The three girls dutifully got out.

"I mentioned earlier, I was having a party Saturday afternoon. I'd like to invite you all to it." I paused a second then added, "Jamie Kellogg will be there, so will a couple of dozen others."

They traded looks, before June looked back at me. "I guess."

"Yes," Sylvia and Toni replied, the harmony not quite so good.