She was wobbling down the road. A little girl with curly brown hair sticking to the side of her face in the summer heat. She raised two chubby hands to clumsily wipe the curls away as she carefully placed one foot in front of the other.


She was going to the post office to collect the mail. She and mommy walked to the post office every afternoon. But Mommy was tired today. That's why the little girl headed off to the post office on her own. But that was ok. She knew the way well enough. Wouldn't Mommy be so surprised and proud! So the child toddled on.


The child stopped for a moment and carefully picked a few flowers. She would give Mommy some pretty flowers along with the mail. Clover, violets, and dandelions that grew along the sidewalk. She liked the dandelions best, and the sticky white goo they left on her fingers.


The girl gripped the flowers tightly in her fingers as she teetered along. A dog barked on her right. She quickly dropped the flowers and ran to the fence that kept her from the dog. She giggled as it ran over and licked the dandelion paste from her hands. She patted his head before turning back to pick up the flowers and continue on her way. She must hurry to get to the post office in time. In time for what, she didn't know.


The child made a turn onto the bridge that was over the river she and Mommy always crossed, stopping in the middle to look at the water. She took one of the flowers and dropped it into the bubbling brook. The flower disappeared under the bridge and she ran to the other side. She knew from experience that the flower would float under the bridge and emerge further down the river. Sure enough, the flower reappeared. She watched it glisten down the river. Then she dropped another flower, and another.


She was on her fourth flower when Mommy ran to her and swept her up in her arms. Mommy cried and crushed her in a hug, demanding to know where she'd been.


Just going to get the mail, Mommy, she thought as she held out the dirty crumpled flowers. Mommy smiled and took them from the child's tiny hand.