carnival, then at night a lighted boat parade.”
“Oh,” Annie said, “we went
a few times. Remember, Lon, you won Hannah that stuffed wiener dog
at a game? And Ryder rode his first roller coaster
there.”
Carter raised his hand.
“Did I go?”
“Yes,” Annie said. “But you
were really little and couldn’t do much. I think you sat on my lap
and we went down the giant slide together. You also got cotton
candy all over yourself!”
Carter smiled. “Let’s go! I
want to remember it again!”
The women backed up Carter.
Lon conceded his fishing trip idea, but only if he got to pick next
time. Ryder wasn’t won over until Lon promised to take him to the
skate park the next day. So after lunch, the family got ready to
go.
The festival was busy, but
not too crowded. All the kids got wristbands that let them ride as
many rides as they wanted. Annie and Lon ran into other people they
knew. Benji, on his new leash held by Grace, seemed fine around the
groups of strange people. After the rides and games at the
carnival, the family stayed past dark to watch the boat parade.
Staking a claim on a spot along the river with portable chairs and
blankets, the family watched the boats glide past on the black
water. Each craft was decked in decorations and strings of lights.
Boat passengers waved or played music for everyone watching from
land. When the last boat had passed by, Annie looked at Carter,
resting in her lap, and saw he was asleep.
Returning home, Annie
heaved Carter’s sleep-stilled body onto his bed to take off his
shoes. When had he gotten so big and heavy? His little face looked
so peaceful that Annie didn’t want to disturb him by changing him
into pajamas. She pulled a blanket over him and kissed his
cheek.
Carter rolled his head to
the side, but didn’t open his eyes. “There are miracles,” he
mumbled.
Annie smiled and brushed
his hair off his forehead. She stared at the features she had
memorized: the shape of Carter’s eyelids, the curve of his nose,
how his upper lip swept into a bow. His features had lost their
baby-ness, and he was often more serious than a child should be,
but the cherubic aura remained in his face.
“You’re right,” she
whispered back.
Good Things
The sand was gritty and
cold as it landed on Annie’s arm.
“Carter,” she said, “I see
you’re making a fantastic tunnel under your sand castle, but can
you please toss the sand that way?”
“Sorry, Mom” Carter said,
pausing his digging with a bright orange shovel. “I did it axeldentally .”
“I know.” Annie grabbed
her youngest child and kissed him despite the grains of sand that
now dusted him from head to toe. She gave his little shoulder a
squeeze when she remembered how she had almost lost him. Just
thinking about the frightening search for Carter almost made her
heart stop again. Annie took a breath and eased back onto the beach
blanket next to Grace in a beach chair, and told her mind to turn
off all negative thoughts. It was Christmas. And her family was on
the beach on a sunny, crisp day with three new family
members — and two
dogs.
Annie watched Lon and Ryder
playing some form of football with Lisa’s husband, Carlos. Then she
squinted to look for Hannah, who was slowly walking the shoreline
with Maia. Benji padded alongside the girls.
“Hannah and Maia have
become fast friends. That was so nice of Maia to invite Hannah to
go to the concert with her — she was so excited, especially after worrying
that she and her childhood friends are drifting apart. Mom, tell me
again,” Annie said, turning to Grace, “Lon and Lisa are first
cousins, right? So what are the children?”
“First cousins once
removed,” Grace said.
“It would be great if you
could write down a simple family tree,” Lisa said. She was sitting
on Grace’s other side. “It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just
so we can fill in
“Oh,” Annie said, “we went
a few times. Remember, Lon, you won Hannah that stuffed wiener dog
at a game? And Ryder rode his first roller coaster
there.”
Carter raised his hand.
“Did I go?”
“Yes,” Annie said. “But you
were really little and couldn’t do much. I think you sat on my lap
and we went down the giant slide together. You also got cotton
candy all over yourself!”
Carter smiled. “Let’s go! I
want to remember it again!”
The women backed up Carter.
Lon conceded his fishing trip idea, but only if he got to pick next
time. Ryder wasn’t won over until Lon promised to take him to the
skate park the next day. So after lunch, the family got ready to
go.
The festival was busy, but
not too crowded. All the kids got wristbands that let them ride as
many rides as they wanted. Annie and Lon ran into other people they
knew. Benji, on his new leash held by Grace, seemed fine around the
groups of strange people. After the rides and games at the
carnival, the family stayed past dark to watch the boat parade.
Staking a claim on a spot along the river with portable chairs and
blankets, the family watched the boats glide past on the black
water. Each craft was decked in decorations and strings of lights.
Boat passengers waved or played music for everyone watching from
land. When the last boat had passed by, Annie looked at Carter,
resting in her lap, and saw he was asleep.
Returning home, Annie
heaved Carter’s sleep-stilled body onto his bed to take off his
shoes. When had he gotten so big and heavy? His little face looked
so peaceful that Annie didn’t want to disturb him by changing him
into pajamas. She pulled a blanket over him and kissed his
cheek.
Carter rolled his head to
the side, but didn’t open his eyes. “There are miracles,” he
mumbled.
Annie smiled and brushed
his hair off his forehead. She stared at the features she had
memorized: the shape of Carter’s eyelids, the curve of his nose,
how his upper lip swept into a bow. His features had lost their
baby-ness, and he was often more serious than a child should be,
but the cherubic aura remained in his face.
“You’re right,” she
whispered back.
Good Things
The sand was gritty and
cold as it landed on Annie’s arm.
“Carter,” she said, “I see
you’re making a fantastic tunnel under your sand castle, but can
you please toss the sand that way?”
“Sorry, Mom” Carter said,
pausing his digging with a bright orange shovel. “I did it axeldentally .”
“I know.” Annie grabbed
her youngest child and kissed him despite the grains of sand that
now dusted him from head to toe. She gave his little shoulder a
squeeze when she remembered how she had almost lost him. Just
thinking about the frightening search for Carter almost made her
heart stop again. Annie took a breath and eased back onto the beach
blanket next to Grace in a beach chair, and told her mind to turn
off all negative thoughts. It was Christmas. And her family was on
the beach on a sunny, crisp day with three new family
members — and two
dogs.
Annie watched Lon and Ryder
playing some form of football with Lisa’s husband, Carlos. Then she
squinted to look for Hannah, who was slowly walking the shoreline
with Maia. Benji padded alongside the girls.
“Hannah and Maia have
become fast friends. That was so nice of Maia to invite Hannah to
go to the concert with her — she was so excited, especially after worrying
that she and her childhood friends are drifting apart. Mom, tell me
again,” Annie said, turning to Grace, “Lon and Lisa are first
cousins, right? So what are the children?”
“First cousins once
removed,” Grace said.
“It would be great if you
could write down a simple family tree,” Lisa said. She was sitting
on Grace’s other side. “It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just
so we can fill in
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