Page 60 of Little Boy Toy

Who could have known?

But what I knew now? I was the luckiest boy in the world.

EPILOGUE

Zale

My front yard was a rocky landscape, but my backyard had a square of lawn that needed mowing every so often. A light breeze transformed the summer day into paradise.

It was a beautiful Saturday.

I went out early, cleaned out Kendry’s wading pool, using the old water on the fence line plants, and moved the pool off the grass to the concrete. Then, I refilled it with fresh water. I tossed in his mini-balls and a clear plastic tube. It would be waiting for him when he woke.

I did a few extra little chores. I waited until nine to turn on the mower. It was only polite.

As I was halfway finished cutting the lawn, the sliding glass door on the patio opened. Kendry stepped out in his hot pink, too-tight swim trunks.

And nothing else.

“Your pool’s all fresh,” I called out.

“Yay!”

“Did you get a donut from the counter?”

“Yes. I found them.”

“How many did you eat?”

“One.”

“Only one?”

“One and a half, maybe two.”

I laughed.

The scent of fresh cut grass overloaded the air. I pushed my sweat-damp hair back and went on mowing, row by row, while keeping a side-eye on him.

Kendry walked over to his pool and stuck a toe in. He pulled it back fast, wrapping his arms around himself.

“It’s cold!” he yelled.

“Come out here and mow in the direct sun. You’ll heat up fast.”

“That’s a not-daddy job.”

Right. It was.

After about a minute, Kendry had both feet in his pool and stood looking down at the water as if it might bite him. Cute as a button.

By the time I rounded the back end of the lawn, Kendry had lowered himself into the pool and was contentedly floating on the inflatable ring, batting around the mini-balls. There was a toy mini hoop attached to the pool edge, and he kept making baskets, one, two, three. Some of the balls had missed and rolled onto the patio, but most of them bounced back into the water so he could paddle up to them and keep playing.

I finished mowing and stored the mower. I brought out the wide sprinkler, set it in the middle, and turned it on. It made a wave of water, back and forth, managing to reach most of the lawn.

The air had a richness to it. Quiet and warm, yet full of summer. If I listened closely, I heard the buzzing of insects, and the high calls of birds.

I walked over to Kendry, who looked up at me, smile brighter than the sun.

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