A chameleon — its outline a deeper lavender, the tip of its mouth light gray, no feet. Like a black hole, centered in a fuselage of cumulus. The animal shape flattens into a crinkle-cut fry, then into a submarine. Cloud watching as I wait for words to arrive, to drown out the high-pitched whines, as the flat-faced nasturtiums blow and peer over the ledge toward the sun.
I swipe away a tick egg image on Google — a telltale sign of my location. And fireflies! The flick of light, then another, stopped me mid-undressing and had me running to tell Dave. After spying the lit-up sky with me, he joined in for our first-ever night swim.
Oh, night swims, how much I love thee.
Was today one of the best days on record? Lawn care grid-working, a meal with family, a free reggae event with friends, and perfectly tempered water under a dark sky and starry backdrop. I think so.
I’m itching to press send on our latest Amazon cart: picture frames, weed whacker line, and Off bug repellent. However, our loosely held rule is to wait until the next month’s start, which isn’t for two weeks or more. Pray for me.
Or don’t. Either way, I’ll be fine.
And to top it off, I beat Dave in ping pong, 21-19. He’d had the lead for most of the match, but little did he know I was wading in the bushes, quietly tracking his weaknesses, only to pounce in the final bid for the championship. I know I’ve mentioned my skill in ping pong before, but credit where it’s due—he’s good too. Which makes it even better. Because even when he slams it right at my face, there’s this perfect little mix of irritation and attraction that somehow makes for the most fun kind of husband-and-wife tension.
These are the days I don’t want to forget. The small ones. The ones that don’t look like much but feel like everything.
Thank you so much for being a part of it. Love, Jaclynn
Going On 40 