I awake at five. Toss and turn until seven. Then give up and center on the deck for the last time at Smuggs this season. Birdsongs, so different and yet similar, to home; the hum of AC units: they fill the air. The sky brightens, though it’s still quite cool. We’ll soon depart. I feel…

The trail is a mix of gravel and dirt. Pine seedlings, high grass and ferns flank it on both sides. Morse mountain starts more evenly than Madonna. Until we come to the first rise. Then the trail just keeps on ascending. mist on Madonna breathing hard around another bend Mira recognizes the summit. Top of…

I watch Mira exit the Pipe Slide at the North Hill Aquatic Center. She flounders in the exit pool, her arms and legs thrashing as her head bobs up and down. My heart skips a beat when a lifeguard stands up, but she recovers. After I slide down, she tells me, “It happens so fast.…