“Come on, girls, let’s go to the park,” mother said brightly as Leanna headed toward the door with two heavy bags.
Maggie and I trailed behind her, hands clasped and big grins on our faces. Mother brought up the rear, double checking her purse to make sure everything has been loaded in that she might possibly need. Where other mothers smile to see their children getting along, she frowned at our clasped hands. I didn’t notice it on that occasion, but I saw that frown generated by our closeness many times throughout my childhood.
As we walked toward the park, something sparked Maggie’s interest. She began babbling in nonsense syllables that even I couldn’t interpret and let go of my hand. Before she could get too far, I grabbed her hand and pulled her back toward me. Seconds later, a big truck careened toward us, going too fast for the tight turn on the narrow residential street. Startled, I stumbled backward away from the moving vehicle. Luckily, I tightened my grip on Maggie’s hand, so she tumbled backward with me as the truck’s bed fishtailed into the spot where we once stood.
Mother, who had looked down at her phone and fallen behind, screamed in terror. All the blood drained completely from her face. She started crying as she raced toward us. I couldn’t read the expression on her face, but she had raced toward me like that many times—usually to reprimand or take away something she didn’t want me to have.
Once more, I acted on instinct and put myself between Maggie and my mother. Maggie, unaware of anything that just happened, giggled.
“Silly,” she declared, “Tickles.”
Mother reached us and I tensed as her shadow fell over us. Leanna stood helplessly dumbstruck, clutching our playground bags as tears poured down her face. Then mother’s arms wrapped around both of us.
“My girls. My girls,” she whispered, covering whatever parts of our face she could reach with kisses and tears.
“Maggie, are you okay?”
Maggie giggled in response.
“Thank you, Sissy, for looking out for your sister. Thank you so much.” She showered me with real tears and more kisses as she squeezed us both so tightly I almost couldn’t catch a breath.
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