030:

"I'm Shellie Martin." She revealed with a hesitant smile. "I'm meeting Ben Easter."

I blinked. A woman--- with two children--- had just told me she was here to meet Ben Easter. Before I could say anything, in typical Ronda fashion, Ronda pointed out to the waves. "Well, hunny, he's out there with the guys. You can grab a chair and take a load off. Or you can go swim with the sharks. These are my boys, Dalton, and Foss----." They both looked up from their play at the newcomers.

Shellie Martin stood there looking very hesitant. "We met on the internet. LDS Planet, have you heard of it?"

"So, you haven't met him in person?"

"No. Is that kind of weird? This is last minute too."

I saw Fred coming up the shore with Lance, concerned that family drama was about to encroach on this first date, I got some more folding chairs. Her boys eyed the other little boys in longing, so their mother said they could play--- for a few minutes. She too was eyeing the men coming toward us.

"That is my husband's father, Fred, and Fred's other son, Lance." I said. "Ben is out on the Seabob, with Mutt."

We all looked out to the waves as if expecting to see them, but you couldn't see people who were mostly under water. We could see Rafe and Jeff surfing air with the power boards. They looked like they came directly from Hawaii. I handed her Rafe's binoculars.

I heard the doorbell and ran inside. When I came back with the pizza and set it on our patio retaining walls and serving area in its boxes, very informal, with some paper plates and napkins, I noticed that Rafe and Felicity were coming in, and Jeff was riding one last wave. He'd noticed Ronda, and dinner.

Shellie looked bewildered. Ronda and I tried to make her more at home, told her to pull up a chair, and have some pizza. She declined. She stood there waiting.

"So, how was it last minute?" I asked her, munching a bite of pizza, my one concession to junk food weakness.

"He texted me an address and said there was to be a family party with some of his closest friends. I thought it might be an informal time to meet him, but I feel like I am barging in."

I hoped we hadn't made her feel that way. "You're not, don't worry." I said. "The guys were seriously just over next door deciding about the remodel, and they decided to go play in the water. It follows that there will be food and an evening of volleyball or visiting. Very impromptu, no worries."

She managed to nod, and still look worried.

"I will introduce you." Ronda said by way of reassurance.

"I've seen his picture."

"And you know what he does?" I quipped, maybe she was recognizing the band suddenly and feeling some celebrity awe.

"He said he's a guitar technician."

Ronda and I grunted our amusement. "That's funny." I nodded. "The things people say online. Well, Shellie, he's a member of a band---- Axis, have you heard of them?"

I saw her eyes widen. I saw her scan the waves, and light on Rafe's very familiar form, he was well known, if everybody else wasn't. "Yes, I've heard of them. Are they--- are you guys--- om--- I'm LDS."

"Some of us are LDS too. I am." I said gently, "Ronda is Jeff's wife, and she's investigating the church. All the guys here are LDS."

"Axis is LDS?" Her voice held a lot of skepticism.

I shrugged. "You can't judge a book by its cover."

I could see Ben and Mutt were getting out, lots of whooping and hollering and high-fives all around. These guys were nothing if not enthusiastic. They met up with Rafe and Jeff carrying boards and Seabobs, and were all talking excitedly. I called out over the rising breeze--- "Shellie's here."

Instantly Ben's eyes snapped up to the patio and searched for her. This was the moment of truth then--- would they connect, or was this too much for a first date? I privately thought he should have told her he was in a band, and what band. Guitar technician was somewhat misleading.

He broke away and ran the last few steps up to the patio, and extended his hand. But then he pulled her exuberantly in for a cold, wet hug. Their meeting was to be very public, I thought uneasily, and wondered if my first meeting with Rafe had been this public, if I would have responded half so well.

Nevertheless, my little girl was shivering in her swimming suit, her long brown hair falling lank and stringy to her waist. It was like mine then, straight when wet. I skipped up to them, trying on my happy smile. I had brought her a Princess towel. I showed it to her, all pink and castle-y, and she shivered a smile and took it. She was chattering in Spanish, and I gently had her repeat the English words as she spoke--- almost correcting, but that's not how I intended it. I was just thinking that she would be an outcast if she couldn't speak to the other kids.

Her eyes lit on those other kids.

She instantly stuck her thumb in her mouth and wanted me, but that was only to shove her hand down my shirt. I gently extricated the hand and brought it to my lips, smiling the whole time, and reassuring her. I told her we'd go get dressed so she would be warm, and see what Auntie Ronda had brought her. She didn't know Auntie Ronda.

Ronda had followed me inside, and after introductions, she'd shown Felicity the beach buckets and shovels she'd brought her—all cute and pink and sparkly for a girl. She liked them, but wouldn't touch them right off, and kept her face buried against my chest, her thumb in her mouth.

Ronda asked if I was going to let her continue to suck her thumb, as it wasn't good for her teeth, and I said yes, it was her form of self-soothing, and she needed all the self-soothing she could get. Ronda clucked in disapproval and then asked if Felicity had been vaccinated. I told her that Mexico had a very strict immunization policy--- even had whole squadrons of neighborhood nurses that went around vaccinating kids even if parents didn't want them to be. Yes, she was vaccinated, but my own children would only be vaccinated on a schedule and with certain types of ingredients. I did not trust big pharmaceutical companies nor the pro-vaccination campaign.

Ronda's eyes widened. "I guess we're going to have to be friends from a distance when you have kids then. All mine are vaccinated."

I smiled gently. "Maybe we'll have to talk about it sometime. I'd love to hear your views."

"I already know yours then, if you are anti-vaccination. There's nothing you can say that will change my mind."

I shrugged. "I don't want to change your mind." I ripped tags off Felicity's new clothes, and rubbed her dry as quickly as I could. The air outside was warm, but had an evening tinge of fall.

"I will have to get you some information then, maybe I can change yours. I'm really sorry you feel the way you do."

Now that was the third reiteration of her point, I thought, and as a trained physician, I was very, very up on this argument. I also knew how to deflect and not offend when in any type of medical debate. I just didn't even want to get into it here, or now. It seemed Ronda had very strong feelings.

I pulled the long sleeved t-shirt over Felicity's wet hair and helped her get her legs into sweats. Ronda still stood there, watching me.

"I'm really surprised at your attitude, aren't you a doctor?" She continued.

I looked up at her and smiled. "Yes, of course, and I've studied the available information myself, and come up with my own determinations about what I will do with my own family, since that is still constitutionally acceptable in this country. No nurses going door to door yet here!" I tried to keep it light.

"Well, maybe they should be. I think it's a terrible risk you are planning to take. And dangerous for everybody around you."

"If you believe in the vaccination, and you feel your child is safe, then what difference does it make to you whether I feel the same? If your child is safe, then she's safe. Right?"

Ronda rolled her eyes and blew out her breath. "It's because of people like you that the rate of measles is sky-rocketing in the United States."

"Me and people like me?" I repeated. "Ronda, let's not get into this tonight, there is so much else going on. I want to have this conversation with you--- but in the right time and the right place. And tossing out personal accusations is certainly not very friendly."

Ronda put her hands on her hips. "Well, this is a subject I am not very friendly about."

I stopped patting clothes on Felicity who had popped her thumb in her mouth, but was staring longingly at the other kids outside.
"Honestly." I blew out my breath. "If this is your soap box, great, I'm all for it. Let's debate, but let's do it so it doesn't damage our friendship."

"I don't care if it damages our friendship, I'm not putting my children in danger." She started out to the patio.

"Your children are not in any danger, and Felicity is vaccinated for that matter." I stood up and Felicity wanted up, she wasn't sure about the tones we two were eliciting.

"I'd have to see her vaccination records then. It's a good thing someone else did it for you. Or you'd have willingly put all of us at risk with no thoughts for Alyce or anybody else."

The accusation was unfounded and ignorant, and my physician's side told me rationally not to let it get to me, but after having been ripped a new one by Rafe's mother today as well, and kicked and screamed at by my new daughter yesterday, I was feeling a little persecuted. I took a deep breath and literally counted to ten--- in Spanish—out loud. Felicity grinned and helped me and we two followed Ronda without saying another word. She pointedly ignored me the rest of the evening.

Shellie was nervous around so many people, and Ronda made sure to tell her that her children might be in further danger since I did not believe in vaccinating. Rafe assured her that our current child was vaccinated and no other child was yet in evidence. Shellie did not show nearly the vehemence that Ronda did.

We again built a fire, but the wind brought salt spray that was downright chilly, and clouds poured in from the north, causing a fog bank which covered the moonlight and promised the dampness of a storm. Eventually we all went inside and instantly Jeff and Ronda prepared to leave. Rafe tried to get them to stay as it was fairly early, but Lance pleaded out as well, and so Ben promised Shellie and her kids an evening adventure. I wasn't sure if Rafe wanted to join them, and thought not after he invited Mutt to stay and jam around some. We didn't need to go out. Frankly we were both hitting our limit.

Fred came inside looking morose, as I cleaned up and Felicity settled in on Grandpa's lap to watch Brave in Spanish.

I thought about the day. Pretty relaxed actually even though big decisions had been made. Some clothes bought, some furniture ordered....

Order might be the name of the day. I was just sorry Fred had felt the need to leave Janice in the wake of her rudeness to me. I hoped that wasn't the only reason, but wondered if he'd just had enough of her all around defense of her pro-gay sons, and his church affiliation. Maybe that subject had come to a head.

I didn't want to talk about it. I felt inordinately weary and when I looked over at Rafe playing guitar on the couch with Mutt I saw Felicity had her head on his lap now, and was fast asleep. I went to retrieve her, and told them all I'd see them in the morning. Rafe looked up at me curiously and then nodded.

"Hey baby, you turning in?"

"We really have had a few really busy days, and I'm plumb tuckered out." I adjusted Felicity's weight against my stomach and he waggled his eyebrows suggestively. I let my smile appear. "Not that tuckered."

He nodded again, the guitar pick in his mouth and then told Mutt he could stay if he wanted, but that we were both worn out. Mutt took the hint, and Fred got up to go to bed.

*******