The Fall

In a way I wanted her to fall. I watched her standing on top of the jungle gym, her skirt blowing in the breeze behind her. Her shiny black Mary Jane shoes reflected the sunlight and made me blink and squint and turn away. She leaned into the wind until her body was held up only by the anchoring of her shoes to the wooden slats. The tire swing swung back and forth making a creaking sound. She looked over at me and laughed, as if daring me to want her to fall, or to test how anxious I was about her being so high up and held to the ground by so little. She waved and I waved back. Look at me she called down. No one else was around. The playground was silent except for the creaking swing and her calling voice. It started to snow and flakes caught my lashes and I could hardly see her anymore through the wet crystals forming before my eyes. She threw her head back to face the sky full on and laughed as loud as she knew how to. Then she jumped.