“I’m guessing you’re a tennis fan,” I said.
She had a squeaky giggle. “I am pretty obvious.”
I was enjoying our chat when out of the blue, she asked, “Is Ashley sleeping okay? She was afraid that she wouldn’t be able to with so many other people in the room. She’s the kid that never wanted to stay at sleepover parties.”
“Really? Ashley isn’t shy, she’s always in the mix. But to answer your question, yes, she is sleeping well.”
“How can you know? I mean, you don’t sleep with her, or do you?” she asked.
“There are three counselors who sleep with her and report to me every day about what happens in the bunks.”
To my surprise, she started sobbing. “It’s just, it’s just that I miss tucking her in every night and waking her in the mornings. She’s having a wonderful time and, well, I just miss her more than she misses me.”
I put my hand on her shoulder. “Thank you for trusting me to be the person who tucks your daughter in each night and gets to see her smiling face in the morning. I promise to continue to take good care of her.”
She wiped her tears on her terry wristband. “Thank you, Lori. I’m so embarrassed I cried. But you have definitely reassured me. I’ll sleep better after having met you.”
My next stop was the arts & crafts studio. I saw Kacie’s parents; I tried edging out. I didn’t like to have favorites, but it was easy picking out my (I didn’t want to think “least favorite,” so instead I thought) “most challenging” camper, and that was Kacie. She and I argued over the stupidest things: If I said orange, she would say red just to contradict me. She seemed to get enjoyment out of being contrary, seeing how far she could push people, especially me.
I’d say, “Kacie, you need to put on your slicker, it’s raining out.”
“No, it’s not,” she’d say.
I’d drag her outside with me and we’d stand on the porch steps until we were wet, andstillshe’d argue.
I saw her parents with Maggie and thought,Good luck getting Kacie through her teens. I didn’t want to interrupt their conversation, so I turned to go, when Kacie yelled from across the room, “Lori, don’t leave, I want you to meet my parents!”
I made sure I had a smile on my face. “Hi, I’m Lori, Kacie’s division leader.”
Kacie looked like her dad, round face with intense dark eyes that seemed to question everything. Her mom, who had an open and warm demeanor, rushed toward me throwing her arms out for a hug. “Kacie can’t stop talking about how you’re her favorite adult at camp,” she said.
“That’s so nice to hear. Thank you, Kacie.”
Kacie didn’t look me in the eye. Maybe she hadn’t actually uttered those words. Or, it could be true because I was probably one of the few people who didn’t put up with her nonsense.
“Kacie says that you’re the only one here with half a brain,” her father added.
I laughed. “That’s the nicest thing anyone’s said to me all day.” Kacie let me hug her.
I caught up with Ronnie a little before lunch.
“You seem different,” he said. “More confident.”
“Thanks.”
“So, tell me exactly what it is you do all day aside from play.”
I decided to ignore the sarcasm in his voice. “I’m glad you asked. Each day feels like an eternity and then poof, five weeks fly by in a flash. I mean, just walking around getting the campers to activities, phone calls to parents, daily paperwork, dodging Jack and Marilyn—”
Ronnie interrupted me. “Now you can appreciate what it’s like for me when I put in long days.”
“I absolutely appreciate how hard you work. I just want to share with you whatmylife has been like since I got here. I’m in charge of the daily well-being of forty-eight eight-year-olds and twelve twenty-year-olds. I wake them up at 7:30 a.m., and I tuck them in at 9:00 p.m., and I’m responsible for everything that happens in between.”
“I get it. You’re a babysitter.”
I stopped walking. Even though what he’d said was hurtful, I didn’t want to start an argument. I wanted to show a united front for our children, so I smiled and said, “Right, I babysit spoiled children, and you babysit entitled adults.”
“Touché.” He reached into a side pocket of his cargo shorts and handed me a letter-sized envelope with his law firm’s name embossed in the upper left corner. “This is probably going to surprise you . . .”
