Our day started out ordinary enough; I had a doctor's appointment, we took Meredith to work, then we did our chores. After that, we took lunch to a friend and played for awhile, then went home to nap.
As the afternoon wore on, the sky got a little darker. Then it started misting. I had promised the shortlings a car ride before bed, so after we bathed and brushed our teeth, we pattered out to the car to drive around the block a few times.
We passed the school that Thaddeus will be attending this fall. Then we drove to the end of the nook of our street, got out, and looked at the river for. Slowly, we winded our way back home.
As we pulled into the drive, Thaddeus and Blayne started talking about fireflies.
"And if you catch one, they will give you a WISH!"
I half listened as I unbuckled Daniel from his seat.
"Yeah, but it has to turn on his light in your hand!"
They continued to jabber on about fireflies and magical wishes as I took Taylor out of her car seat.
I smiled to myself and thought, I don't even know where they come up with these things.
Then I turned around.
For the first time in my life, I saw them.
For the first time in my children's lives, they saw them.
Fireflies.
There, in the twilight, they danced.
They blinked from the neighbor's garden.
They shimmered in the wild strawberries growing in our yard.
There, in the last of the daylight, the fireflies gathered, fluttering their tiny wings, ready to grant wishes to my children.
We forgot about bedtime.
We joined hands and stepped onto the wet grass.
We needed to catch them.
We needed to let them land gently on the backs of our hands.
We needed them to impart upon us our dreams and wishes.
Tonight, we needed a little bit of magic before we drifted into slumber.
Tonight, we needed fireflies.
