Can You Put the Roof Down?

Every Monday and Thursday, I pick up my baby sister from elementary school. Although she isn’t a baby anymore, we have a fifteen year age gap, so she’s still considered a baby to me. While the other kids from the other grades slowly run outside of the school after the bell rings, I wait for her among the other parents and siblings. She’s always one of the last to leave the building since she walks a bit slow. I often tease her because of that. Even though she wears a mask, you can still see the hint of worry in her eyes and the furrowing of her brows, wondering if I’m there or not. While zig-zagging through the parents, I can see her bobbing her head in all directions trying to search for me. When our eyes meet, I see her eyes light up and she runs towards me. Having someone that excited to see you is such a heartwarming feeling. Once we walk back to the car, she hops into her car seat and asks, “can you put the roof down?” I nod my head and press the top-down button on my car. Slowly, the roof recedes to reveal the harsh sun and warm breeze. While driving, I can see her in the rear-view mirror, reaching for the sky laughing while the wind tosses her hair back and forth, leaving it in a ribbon-like mess. I hope she’ll remember these short car rides when she’s older.