Still Life with Sierra • 15


Te party was well underway when Peter, the kids, and I arrived. My neighbor, Kathy, had invited her brothers and their families, and there must have been ten kids running around. We were the only non-family people there. It was nice of Kathy and Rusty to include us. Scott and their son, Bucky, played together regularly, oſten taking a dip in their above-ground swimming pool, which sat between our two houses. On this hot August aſternoon, the pool was overflowing with


laughing, splashing kids, while the adults watched, drinking beer and chatting. Peter and I stood poolside, too, taking turns holding Jasper, who squirmed in our arms, wanting to get down and crawl around. Sierra climbed out of the pool to grab a handful of potato chips, and she smiled at me. Tough she wore a bulky lifejacket, I admired her muscular little body, thinking she’d make a fine ath- lete one day. I noticed a car pulling up at our house next door and recog-


nized a couple of our sales representatives getting out. Peter and I had just launched a new local magazine for parents, and we’d hired these two women to sell ad space for us. “Do you want me to go over there and see what they want?”


Peter asked. “No, I’ll go,” I said, handing Jasper over. I wasn’t happy about


leaving the party. Te women apologized for coming out on a Sat- urday and then explained that they’d decided not to work for us any longer. I wasn’t surprised. Selling advertising is tough, espe- cially for a new publication. But I was disappointed. We needed this business venture to succeed. It would be our main source of income since Peter had stopped his construction business due to a building slowdown. Te women apologized again. “It’s OK,” I said, anxious to re-


turn to the party. When I got back next door, the pool was empty, kids scattered


about. Peter was in the backyard with Jasper, who was crawling in the grass. “I think he’s hungry,” Peter said. “I’ll feed him inside where it’s cool,” I said and grabbed a bottle


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