The woman at the register greeted the next pair in line warmly, “I’ll take the next…Hi.” The mother stepped forward, her son jumped and danced up alongside her. “Well, don’t you look like a happy little man today!”

“Yeah!” The boy stopped and peered up to the woman, using the counter to stay up on his toes to reply, “Yeah! I am!”

His mother used the diversion to unload a basket of clothing. A completed task. She stacked up the shorts and shirts that she’d miraculously tried on while her son had run laps in the dressing room, watching his small sprinting form in the mirrors, dashing around customers with stacks of clothes that did not fit. His mother opened her purse and fished for her wallet while her son charmed the employee.“I am in a really, really good mood today.”

“Is that so? I can tell from that smile.”

“Yeah, and my sister is at swimming lessons, so Mom and I are gonna get donuts!” He couldn’t stand still as his mother slid a credit card and waited on her receipt. “Donuts, donuts, donuts! I love donuts!” The smiling boy broke into a dance for baked goods while a line of women waiting to purchase modest summer garments suddenly craved crème-filled long johns.

-Fort Collins, Colorado