Water baby

Coming from a family of 4 kids, having a separate identity was majorly coveted. Somewhere along the way someone saw me swimming and said I was the water baby in our family. I wore this label like a badge and to this day am sometimes teased about it in my family. What I did not wear like a badge was the fact that I was also generally the "stocky" one or one who still had "baby fat". None of those euphamisms go over a child's head. In France (where they don't believe in self-esteem), while trying on a bathing suit, the saleswoman pantomimed me eating and then threw her arms out from her side then shook her head as if to say I can't speak english but if you keep eating all the time you will be fat. Mom, in her innocent way, called yesterday and the following conversation ensued: "I went to lunch today with my friend Carol," (mom) "Oh yeah, was it fun?" (me) "It was, it was so cute," "Mmm hmm," "The restaurant is kind of like a tea house. When I showed up I thought, I have to bring Summer here! But when I looked at the menu I thought, I have to bring Hope here!"