Birdsong and Sunrise

Jack held Abigail’s hand and walked up the path, hopping from paver stone to cool grass to make room for a large group that came barreling toward them. “Hey, watch it!” Jack yelled as one of the group swung their bag, barely missing Abigail. “You watch it!” The assailant removed his mask and Jack recognized…

Abel watched Jack as he led Abigail through the tall grass, stopping ever so often to stomp and send a swarm of fireflies into the air. Abigail’s face glowed with delight each time the air lit up around her, her shrieks of laughter sending a flock of birds to flight from the giant willow where…

Abel opened the screen door slowly, knowing its inevitable creaking hinges would wake Abigail and send her bounding down the stairs to greet the day. Not that he wouldn’t welcome the snuggles that would follow, but he was hoping to catch at least a few moments of peace and to maybe even see Lucy on…

He had come back home just weeks before. This was never the plan he’d laid out for his life. But, one never does plan these things, really. Abigail had quickly taken to Jack upon their arrival. And over just the few weeks they had all been together, you could almost see Jack visibly softening toward…

She had to move. Stillness would just not work today. She dropped the bucket under the pump and began the work of filling, carrying, and dumping. The rhythm of morning chores always brought things into focus, especially on days like these when time seemed to speed up and slow down without notice or cause, moments…