Fall

It's 1982. It's October. The leaves have changed and there is a crisp feel to the air. It's dark but probably not late. There's a knock at the door and behind the door is dad. He's been gone and missed so there is excitement in seeing him.

The little girl is 4 years old. She has long blonde hair and blue eyes. She and her baby sister get ready to go with Daddy. Their bags are packed, they don't have much. The 4 year old is put in little brown shoes that are too small for her feet and they squish and hurt her toes.

They leave the only home they really remember. It's not always safe there but their mom and sisters are there and it's all they know. It's good for them to be leaving but they don't know that. They are going on an adventure with their Daddy.

They arrive at Grandma's house. She's kind of grumpy and says some mean things about their Mommy but they are really too young to understand. Grandpa takes out his pocket knife and cuts the ends off the little girl's too small shoes. Then Grandma and Daddy take her to the grocery store to buy some shoes that fit her feet.

Fall brings memories as the air changes with the leaves. It gets darker earlier and there's a feeling that sometimes the now all grown up 4 year old just can't shake. It's not a bad story. There wasn't a fight. It's not even an unpleasant memory. It's just something life changing that sits there.