looking up from my book as the raindrops stop falling, a brief intense shower gone as quickly as it appeared, my eyes adjusting to the sudden reappearance of the sun.
a red-haired boy maybe five years old, blissful smile on his face as he stomps his feet in the miniscule puddle formed in the corner of the sidewalk panel, marching in place watching the droplets fly up onto his shoes his socks his legs. mother and sister reversing their steps, materializing to encourage him along and for a moment he steps away from the water, then runs back towards it with a jump and a sprinkling of water. still not satisfied, runs almost out of this window pane, turns and gathers momentum for one final splash, a satisfied grin, then a gallop to catch up with his family and he's gone.
i uncurl myself with a yawn, unwrap my mind from the fiction i've been drawn into, upend the paper cup to catch the last few cooling drops of coffee and step outside. waiting to cross the street i feel a dampness seeping through a hole in my shoe, look down, and smile. i'm standing in the little boy's puddle.
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