Lights

Sally packed the little wagon carefully, mindful of the fact that she'd have to pull it all of the way back home when it was late and she was tired. "Cheetos," she said, taking stock, "and sparklers, matches, Oreos, a big water and 2 cans of fizzy water, peanut butter sandwiches, baby carrots, blanket ... " Everything was ready. "You going, Honey?" her mom asked from the living room. "Yeah, I'm all set," Sally called out, beaming. "And Grandpa is going to meet you there?" her mom confirmed. "Yep; he's already there - I just got a text," Sally confirmed, tucking the phone into her jean shorts. "Not too late, okay?" her mom prompted as Sally opened the door to leave. "Okay. Love you!" she yelled as she left. "Love you, baby girl!" her mom yelled back. And off she went, waving her flag, heading away from the bandstand where it would all get so big and so loud and so everything in an hour or so; Sally would be with her grandfather having a picnic at the cemetery in the special spot they liked near her dad's "underground apartment" (which is what Papi liked to call it). He put flags everywhere for the men and women who were resting there and they would laugh and talk and hear the booms and see the sky light up. Most of all they would wait and relax and breathe into softening the eyes and The Shine would let them see all of the sparkly lights near the stones. So many beautiful, sparkly lights.