Colt rises into the air, his wings flapping, creating gusts of wind all around me. Leaves swirl and twist and my hair rises in the commotion. Max’s eyes grow big, and he’s actually smiling, not just in his eyes. I follow beneath them as Colt maneuvers through the trees, sometimes diving toward the ground and pulling up at the last second. Max giggles, a sound I haven’t heard for a long time. My eyes tear, and I wipe at them with the sleeve of my sweater.
