Young man is kneeling down

near two quite little girls

One maybe six? the other five, or four

Sunny breezy autumn day outside a school gymnasium

Young woman stands nearby

stares deep into her phone, then briskly turns aside

Takes bigger little girl by little hand

Back in a few, she calls out as they quickly walk away

At once the little little girl begins to chant a single word

Mommy

Mommy

Mommy

Mommymommymommy

Not tearfully, not frantic,

more firm, a calm insistence

Confident invoking of some minor local god

The young man hugs her, says sssh now, daddy's here

Mommy will be right back

The little little girl restyles her chant

Mommy I need a hug! Mommy I need a hug

Daddy now embraces her, she coolly shrugs him off

Mommy I need a hug! Mommy I need a hug! Mommy

Just slightly louder now

A hug, Mommy! I need a hug

By now the mommy

and the bigger little girl

are fairly distant,

though still in view

Chant continues

Mommy I need a hug mommy

At last the mommy stops, turns

Calls out okay —

The little little girl at once begins to run to her

The bigger little girl turns too

runs back toward baby sister

holding out and up

two loving clasping fuzzy-pink-clad arms

Now both girls run

and run and run,

on tiny little legs

When they get very close

the little little girl adroitly dodges left

skips up and expertly aside

Gains solo access to her mommy, and her hug

Leaves her big sister standing

empty armed

agape

and scorned

Big sister slowly turns about again

approaches from behind the little little girl

tries awkwardly to join in on the hug

Then mommy pats the little little girl on her blonde head

Dispatching her back daddy-wards

Big sister does the same exact head pat

Amazing, strangely perfect replication

before the little little girl escapes

All very quick!

but if you look

just glance back now

Strange pain

and loss

and sadness

all show so brilliant there

in waiting daddy's staring searching eyes