She titled her head back, feeling the wind rush over her ears and through her hair. The toes of her bare feet brushed the soft grass quickly as she kicked up, going higher, faster. She opened her eyes and concentrated, counting how many times her lilac-polished toes touched the perfect white clouds in front of her. Far above, the top limbs of the tree shook with a cool breeze, but the sturdy branch remained still, safe. The sun was behind her, beating down hot on her neck.
Shouts and laughter met her ears, and sneakers scuffing pavement, as her brothers’ pick-up basketball game intensified. She kicked again, swinging her spindly, tan legs back and forth. The wind blocked out the game. 16…17…18…19…20. Her legs swung back and forth, taking her higher. The chain creaked rhythmically and she kicked the cloud again…21…22…Her name was called.
She kicked again, higher, faster, punching away the cloud. Adrenaline and carefree bliss rushed through her small body, as she prepared herself to jump. Back, forth, back, forth, back—she held her breath and let go, her arms flung out behind her. And for a single beautiful instant, she was weightless, flying. Cool air swept around her, time was still. Her arms reached for the sky, trying to touch it. Reach, reach—
She landed hard on both feet, the impact with the rough patch of dirt slamming her back into reality and shaking her every limb. She stood still a moment, breathless and awestruck, the world spun ever so slightly. Then she rubbed the bottoms her feet on the legs of her jeans, standing on first one foot, then the other as she wiped her dirty, slightly scraped feet across her shins.
The little girl skipped off, only to return to the same swing the very next afternoon.
