Playmates: Wait — For Me

Maya reached out, catching his hand just like she used to catch the railing of the slide. "I’ve had a lot of practice," she smiled.

The playground at Cedar Lane was a kingdom of peeling blue paint and sun-warmed plastic. For seven-year-olds Leo and Maya, it was the entire world. Playmates: Wait For Me

He stood up, offering his hand. This time, they walked out of the park at exactly the same pace. Maya reached out, catching his hand just like

He always did. He’d pause at the summit of the "Dragon Tail" slide, looking back with a grin that showed off a missing front tooth. He’d wait until her hand gripped the safety rail before he took the plunge into the woodchips below. For seven-year-olds Leo and Maya, it was the entire world

Leo sat down beside her, breathless from the walk from the station, looking at the girl who had been his anchor since they were small enough to fit through the crawl-tubes.

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In high school, the cry changed. It became a text message sent from a library cubicle while Leo practiced for varsity soccer. Wait for me? she’d ask, hoping for a ride home. He’d linger by his car in the parking lot, long after his teammates left, just to see her walk through the double doors.