-------------
Chapter 23
-------------

The League now had eight people in it, making Rampart the first person among them who wasn’t one of the founding members. He said he would only be able to be a hero part-time, and Walter said that was fine. Having a life was important.

The next time everyone met together after New Year’s morning, however, was five days later at the Kingston pub Marten worked at. They were all in civilian clothes and eating there for their own reasons or excuses that they thought to share, but the truth was that they had come for one reason.

Judy came with Denise and their folks to celebrate her birthday. She could hardly believe it. This was her first with a girl’s parts. The thought was still registering, months after the change had come, while the celebration began.

It was going to take a while, she realized.

“Oh really? He works here now?” asked Judy’s mom when talking to Marten, who had brought up Patrick.

Marten said, “Yeah, he’s not a bad cook or server. Tonight’s his night off, but he said he was going to drop by tonight.”

“As long as he doesn’t try anything, that should be alright.”

“Ouch. What sort of trouble is he in?”

“I’d rather not say.”

After a simple nod, and his delivery of the pub’s signature pizza, Marten walked off to another table where a few people were sitting.

Judy was sitting next to her best friend, who whispered in her ear suggestively that they could share a slice of pizza together. Judy shook her head at her.

“So, Judy,” said Henry, “I’ve been meaning to ask you about something lately.”

She said “Oh yeah?”

“Denise came out to us about a month ago that she really likes swimming, and is missing it now that the weather has cooled down. Do you miss it as well?”

“Of course I do. It’s fun, and I wish we had pool access at the school year-round.”

“I figured you might say that. I know a man who has an indoor pool with a water warming system, but he never uses his house in Paragon during the colder months. He offered Robin and me the chance to house-sit for him and use his pool if we want. How would you like to come by sometime and hang out with Denise . . . if you’re not too busy with you-know-what, I mean?”

“That sounds like it can be good. Thank you.”

“The offer goes to you too, Mai.”

Judy’s mom blushed. “I, um, have not been in a bathing suit in so long. But, thank you.”

Now that Judy thought about it, she wasn’t sure if she had ever seen her mom in a bathing suit in her entire life. Her mom was skittish enough the few times she caught her without a shirt or bottom on.

“It’s no problem at all,” said Henry. “Let us know when you want to come over, and we’ll work out the details so that we’re all there.”

“What’s this I’m hearing about a pool?” came a woman’s voice. It was Tatiana, who was walking to the table.

“Oh, hello. It was Tatiana, right? Nice to see you.”

“Right? I even came here with a few of my brothers.”

She pointed to a table by the far wall where a few guys were sitting. They raised their beer pitchers toward Judy and said, “Feliz cumpleaños!”

“Huh.” Henry looked around the restaurant, as did Robin. “Do you work with Judy here, by any chance?”

“Doing what?” Tatiana asked.

Robin said, “I think there are too many people here for that, dear.”

“It’s true. I can see maybe a dozen people here who don’t already know about either one of us. A few of them could be heroes or villains, and none of us would know. It’s possible that no one here wants to hear about that sort of thing either.”

Denise leaned over to Judy and suggested, “Maybe even our number one heroine could be here.”

Judy said, “It would be nice if Swan Diva was here too.”

That apparently made Robin choke on her water for a moment, during which Henry tended to her and patted her on the upper back.

“Are you alright, Robin?” asked Judy’s mom.

Robin nodded, giving a thumb up while she recovered. She lipped that something went down the wrong pipe.

“Did some water take a swan dive into her lungs?” asked Wyatt, who was standing next to Tatiana at this point.

Tatiana, of course, smacked him upside the head.

“Such abuse,” said Judy’s mom.

Wyatt said, “It’s because my puns are always a hit. Wait, I mean . . . ow. See what I mean?”

Meanwhile, Tatiana’s brothers were laughing out loud from their table. They were probably just as unsurprised as they were amused by her treatment of Wyatt considering how long they had known Tatiana.

And Judy didn’t know whether to smile or be disturbed by this. Probably both.

Henry asked, “So, how many of you are here tonight?”

“Oh, how do you do?” asked Walter as he showed up from the other side.

Warren walked by with a drink, wearing a pair of ridiculously large sunglasses. “This is actually a little awkward now that we’re all standing here. Well, everyone but Jeff, David, and Warren.”

Everyone turned to look at Jeff, who was still sitting at the table he was sharing with Warren. The big guy visibly sighed and got up.

Plenty of pictures were taken then.

One photo had Judy along with the League once David had come out of the restroom. The rest were of her and her mom, Judy and Denise, and the two of them with their folks. Tatiana’s middle brother was highly skilled at his photography and all of its elements, it turned out.

That was when Tatiana explained that the pictures people see on her family’s carts were all taken by her middle brother.

Jeff left behind a small, wrapped box that was labeled as being from the whole League. When Judy opened it amidst her gifts, it was a bracelet designed with her favorite flower along the top of it. They were in full color, and the band was pretty as well with its white gold.

Her mother bought her a gift card for that ice cream parlor she liked, as well as a cute hat with only a thin brim on the front.

Denise and her folks got her a basket with a bath and body set.

It was when Judy’s presents were done that her father showed up. Patrick walked over to the table, and said, “Hello, everyone. Happy birthday, Jude. Judy.”

The lights flickered.

Judy said, “Hello.”

“I know I have a lot of birthdays alone to make up for. If you were a year older, I’d have put a down payment on a car for you.”

“Um, thanks?”

“So, for this year, I asked your mom what you’re into these days. You don’t want to know how that conversation went. So here’s the least I can do.”

He handed Judy a wrapped box. The colors were very neutral, and the wrapping was free of any name tag or label.

Judy was uncertain if she was tepid or gingerly as she looked at the box. It could have had anything in it, from a man who still didn’t see her as a girl. A man who spent the vast majority of her life not being a part of it.

She undid the bow, and worked her fingers into the box. Inside she found two books that she’d never heard of before, or thought to look for.

One was a book about heroes and villains in other cities around the world. Paragon’s caped figures were near to her specialty, so this was a welcome surprise. The other book was about heroes who had all tried a hand at celebrity life, such as singing or acting, instead of relying on their heroics alone.

Judy looked up at her father. “Thank you for these. D-do you know about my . . . ?

“Your what?” asked Patrick.

“Nevermind. This was thoughtful of you.”

“Sure, sure. Now you’re probably expecting me to make due on that car next year, huh?”

“The thought hadn’t really occurred to me.”

Under her breath, Denise said, “Hmm, something with a nice back seat.”

Judy went for the ribs and pinched at her friend’s side. Denise squirmed and let out a ticklish yelp.

Scratching his head, Patrick said, “Well, uhh, it was nice seeing you all again. Have a good night.” And he started walking away when Judy’s mom got up. She caught up with him at the door.

Judy’s mom was actually smiling and being friendly from what Judy could see.

When Judy and her mother got home, Judy had to set her stuff down inside of the entrance so she could carry one thing at a time to her room. It was a good night, but it left her too tired to lift a bunch of stuff up the stairs.

She grabbed the basket first, and tread almost sorrowfully over the freshly vacuumed carpet—how or why her mother always managed to clean the floor without leaving a lot of footprints, she never knew in her fifteen years and counting—to her room.

Judy opened her bedroom door only to hear something fly and hit the floor. She flipped the light switch to find a folded note on the carpet, possibly having been fastened inside the door while it was closed.

Once opened, it read:

“To an admirer, whom I owe my life. Happy birthday. Enjoy your gift. –SD”

Judy lowered the note, piecing together who could have written this note and how they could have gotten in—the window was unlocked—to leave it. She also noticed the gift on her bed.

And she let out an audible gasp.