Checkmate

10

"Hey, no running in the house, guys!" I shouted; dodging a couple of kids as they ran through the back door. I got a few giggles in response. They were so enthralled in their games I doubt they even cared what I said. Still, what kind of host would I be if I allowed those little tornadoes on foot to rummage everything in their way? I made my way to the food table and put down three more boxes of pizza.

"Now this just reminded me why I don't want kids."

I turned around to find Sephora standing behind me with a beer in her hand.

"Really? The pool party was your idea."

"Yeah, but it was aesthetically pleasing at first. Now it's just a big mess."

I chuckled, "You shouldn't have gotten attached. What exactly did you expect when dealing with kids?"

   She rolled her eyes but knew I was right. Shaking my head, I turned in the direction she was facing. From here, we watched the kids as they went up the bouncy house before sliding down into the kiddie pool attached to it. Sam was having the time of his life; riding an inflatable dolphin while his friends swam after him. It was so nice to watch him smiling so much. Sephora and I were up late last night getting all this ready. The crew only got to set up the bouncy house before I thanked them for their services and snuck them out with as much subtlety as possible. My backyard was turned into a water park with a human size, octopus-shaped sprinkler, and a bouncy house. The fence was decorated with colorful balloons and birthday banners.

Now that I was sure the kids were okay, I had to go check on the few parents that were in attendance, "Keep an eye out for me."

"Yeah, go ahead," Sephora replied before taking off her shirt, revealing her yellow bathing suit that now served as a top, and joined them around the sprinkler.

I entered the living room and the small group of women turned to me.

"Kimberly, we were just talking about you," Candice, the mother of one of Sam's friend's said as I came to sit with them.

"Well please, don't let me stop you."

"We were just saying how amazing your parties always are. Where did you get that sprinkler?"

"It was gifted to me so I'm not sure, but I can ask."

"Please do. With the hot months coming, this will be perfect."

Everyone nodded along, making it clear that they all wanted to know this information.

   When throwing a kid's party, I learned that you always need a safe area for the parents who chose to come along. Sephora again did a marvelous job with the fruit punch. You could barely taste the alcohol and the fruity mix worked well with the pool party going on a few yards away.

Chad, a father that was here with us, was now telling us about his work life.

"I'm just used to being there for almost everything. Now he lost two teeth in the same week and I didn't even notice until they started growing back." Chad said.

   He was one of those regular faces that were always at PTA meetings. I hadn't seen him in a while, the attendance filled by his wife, Caroline. In a moment of vulnerability, he opened up about the struggles of feeling fulfilled by his work achievements, while tackling the guilt that it brings now that he can no longer be around as much for his son, Tomas.

"It's a painful transition, but you'll eventually find a way to be close again," I reassured him and the other ladies nodded.

"Juggling everything with them seeking your approval for literally everything can be suffocating at times. In the end, that's what we signed up for."