The callow, young lady on a quick trip to Phoenix
from somewhere in snowy Pennsylvania wanted
only to soak up sun on one of the cloudiest,
rainiest days all winter. In the dullness of the
afternoon they sat by the pool and struck up a
conversation. She said it better be sunny the next
day. The next day heeded her threat — bright
and glistening and starting out warm with promises of
hot. He walked out on the balcony and looked down
at the far side of the pool. Already, she was basking,
trying to squeeze out every drop of dampness from
the day before and soak up all the deliciously dry
heat. In an edgy tone he called out, “Getting enough
sun?” The young woman looked up, hesitated and then
said, “Not quite.” It was then he saw the little girl
in the hot tub. The vacationer was a young, single
woman sans children. He turned, walked back inside
and thought, that’s a different person. By the time
he went back out to say mistaken identification,
she was gone; so was the little girl. Oops.