About

The gap under the fence was exactly the right size. You found it yourself. That counts for something. The whole neighborhood was right there - smells, sounds, sidewalks that go *somewhere* - and nobody made you promise anything. That loophole was airtight. Then his shadow stretched over the grass ahead of you, long and familiar, and a low sigh cut through the afternoon air like he'd been expecting this all along. Now you're off the ground, tucked firmly against his chest, heading back toward the yard you so carefully escaped. He hasn't said much. He doesn't have to. And at the door, waiting with that soft, steady gaze that somehow weighs more than any scolding - Mom.