I closed up shop on the weekends so I could do something other than work on other people’s pools. In the summertime, that meant volunteering as a lifeguard at the YMCA on the edge of town.
It was almost noon on Saturday. From my chair above the pool, I watched the mostly benign antics of the water-goers as they splashed each other, enjoying the cool water compared to the blazing heat outside.
“Yo, Pete.”
I looked down to see Riley, one of the other lifeguards on duty today, standing by the ladder. He was ready to relieve me for lunch. My stomach growled on cue.
“Hey, man. Great timing.” I climbed down so he could take my place, and I headed for the locker room. But before I got there, a cute little girl around five years old, wearing a yellow inflatable jacket, ran into my legs and fel
