Being There

Yesterday, Lucy and I lay on the grass under one of the oak trees in the front yard. It looked like it would rain, but Lu thought we’d be safe under the tree. We tried counting the leaves, but decided there were too many. We saw a butterfly and some birds. Lu found a really good stick. A black and red flying bug landed on me that Lu thought was a ladybug, then said, “Actually, it’s not.” The bug bit me, but I didn’t tell Lu.

We moved to the other oak tree, but there were ants, so we went back to the first one and played “Simon Says,” a game Lu doesn’t fully understand. At some point, Simon said “Snuggle up!” and she wiggled her body close to mine, with her cheek on the skin of my arm. We were quiet together for about three perfect seconds.