I’m two, maybe three, wearing a baggy diaper and standing in shin-deep puddle water. Leah’s here too, all pigtails and chubby legs and chubby cheeks. As I stomp my feet, warm water splashes Leah’s legs and she giggles, so I put my hands on her hands and we dance. Mom’s crouched beside us, cooing. Dad’s holding up a camera. I keep stomping and Leah does, too, and Mom and Dad are laughing and water is warm and life is fun, and this is when it happens—when I believe, for the very first time, that this feeling will never go away.
Brian Benson grew up in a Wisconsin town with three bars and no stoplights. He now lives, writes, and teaches in Portland, Oregon. Find Brian at brianbensonwrites.com, on Twitter @MrBrianBenson, and on Instagram @misterbrianbenson.