Heaven and Earth
After school, Teddy decided to walk the long way home. He wanted to see Jesse, but he also wanted to be alone. The trees were calling to him, just like Jesse said. He called his mom and told her when he would be home.
Margaret breathed in that imperceptible fire in the breath—love—knowing that Teddy had thought about her.
Sitting under an ash tree, Teddy noticed seeds floating like whirlybirds at his feet. When he was four, he would collect the whirlybirds and drop them from the open attic into a tin can on the garage floor. He loved their unpredictable flight path. It didn't matter if only a few hit the mark. Being able to drop something, and watch it float and spin around, thoroughly entertained him.
As Teddy reminisced, he felt himself lean into the tree, his back p
