I stood tip-toe on the bathroom counter, pressing my naked chest against the mirror, enjoying the cooling sensation of the glass against my skin. I examined my face and body, taking in the pine needles nested into my hair, the sap smeared across my left cheek and the bloodred stain of blackberries on my lips. My legs were covered from ankle to knee with bandaids of all sorts. Amid the grass stains, dirt and dust, dried blood was visible. I turned to examine myself from each angle, careful as I twisted precariously on the high countertop. Glancing down to the tile floor, I realized that I hadn't considered how far from the ground I would be if I climbed the cabinet door and stood on the counter.

I dropped to my hands and knees, peering over the edge of the counter that I was normally just a few inches taller than. I gripped my fingers tightly around the sink faucet as I slid my body across the counter so that my legs slipped over the ledge easily. I wriggled slightly as I stretched my toes downward toward the cold floor. Still gripping the faucet, the tip of my toes grazed the floor and I loosened my grip and dropped.

My cheeks were warm with self-satisfaction as I sneaked quietly out of the bathroom; I paused to make sure no one was around, then I sprinted to my bedroom dresser. I dressed quickly, not wanting to get in trouble for parading around the house naked. I wasn't a baby anymore.

"Hi, Mommy."

"What are you doing?"
My eyes sparkled, "Goin' to play with Elise and Kayla outside."

"Okay," she touched my shoulder and led me through the door and out onto the back porch. She shouted for all of us to hear, "I'm mopping, you guys better get what you need in the next five minutes because you're not comin' back in the house 'til it's dry."