Little Sophie played in the small pile of sand behind the thick wall of prickly green bushes. This was her place. Where she created figures and friends for no one but her. She would watch them romp and roll in the sand and then dissolve into a new beings altogether.
But this day was different. Instead of playing in the sand, she sat in her mother’s lap and watched her friends play. Daddy was there too. Sophie’s arms began to hurt because of how hard her mother was holding her. She tried to play, but Daddy would tell her to keep quiet. We can’t play right now.
Sophie wanted to ask why her Mother was crying, but never got the chance. Sophie’s Daddy kissed her Mother and ran out into the unhidden backyard.
Sophie’s Mother picked her up and ran away from Daddy as fast as she could. Sophie didn’t know why they couldn’t run with Daddy or why she heard a crack of lightning even though it wasn’t raining. But she liked it when her mother carried her, and was glad to not be sitting still for a while.
