Leo tugs at Mom's jeans as she walks down the sidewalk. *Thump, thump, thump* goes his bare feet. He wraps both arms around her leg and holds on tight.
Each step makes her swing away from him. He lets go with one hand, reaches up, and tries to hold on again. *Thump, thump* — still following.
Leo stands taller now, reaching past her waist. He marches to the corner store all by himself and buys a pack of blue marbles.
One rolls under the porch. Another vanishes in the grass. A third bounces into Mrs. Gable's rose garden.
Leo climbs onto the big stool by the kitchen window and points at a globe on the shelf. It shows a tiny red pushpin marking a place called Peru. He traces the line with his finger, lips moving silently.
Leo comes running home, muddy boots and a woven friendship bracelet on his wrist. Mom drops her dish towel and opens her arms wide. She scoops him up and spins him around until his laughing echo fills the whole hallway.
Leo curls into Mom's lap like he always has. Her hand strokes his hair. The blue marbles sit in a jar on the windowsill, catching the golden evening light.
She hums the same lullaby she hummed when he was tiny. His eyes grow heavy. The house is quiet except for the sound of her voice and the evening birds outside.
