Chapter 25 - ROSIE TURNS SIXRosie’s sixth birthday was deliberately small.
Not because we were afraid of parties.
Because she wanted a backyard treasure hunt.
Six children.
Cupcakes.
Water balloons.
Julia came.
Daniel brought Caleb.
Bethany did not.
My parents did not.
Not punishment.
Boundary.
At one point another child grabbed Rosie around the waist to steal a clue.
Rosie shouted:
“Stop!”
The child immediately let go.
I froze anyway.
My body reached the old place before my mind did.
Julia touched my elbow.
Rosie said:
“I said stop.”
Her friend answered:
“Sorry.”
Then they kept playing.
That was it.
No hidden meaning.
No adult needed to toughen anybody.
Later Rosie sat on the grass opening gifts.
Caleb gave her a dinosaur notebook.
She laughed.
Daniel looked at me.
We both noticed.
May you like
Neither of us said anything.
A dinosaur could become a dinosaur again.
