This Autumn Morning

I sit on my front porch at 9:15 in the morning. It is sunny and warm with a cool breeze, jeans and sweatshirt weather. The sweet smell of dying leaves is already floating around, and every burst of fresh wind brings dozens and dozens falling to the ground in front of me. Trinity rides her bike up and down the street in front of our house in her little green sundress. She just explained to me that it is too revealing so she has to wear a tank top under it. She rides crazy fast in her sparkly pink Converse hi-tops, so fast that when she speeds downhill I hold my breath sometimes in anticipation of a wipeout. Cameron pushes the wagon to the top of the street and rides down in it. She uses the handle as a reverse steering wheel as she wobbles back and forth down the sidewalk. It makes me remember the road rash I got so often when my wagon tipped and rolled doing the exact same thing. Not wanting to be left out of the action, Calvin chases after the wagon in his checkered shorts and barefeet. He catches up at the bottom of the hill and takes position at the back. His smile is brightened by the glow-in-the-dark vampire teeth he has in his mouth. The iridescent vampire becomes the wagon's engine as he pushes his sister back up the hill to do it all again. I yell at the dog to keep her from chasing them out of the yard. I contemplate driving her out into the country and leaving her there, but the amount of love my kids have for her keeps me from acting. Stinking love...

Their laughter floats back and forth on the breeze, and I wish that it will never stop. I want those giggles to be carried everywhere the wind goes for as long as sound exists so that I never have to stop hearing it.