THEY COME BEARING HUGS

The KMM trio (Kaya, Mitsuki, Miasa) visited on Saturday, and as they always do made captive of my every moment. Their all-unknowing beauty and growth, their brand-new grownup forthrightness, their inherent privilege shown in their faces from the open door, when they began without compunction from where we left off months ago as if it had only been a moment, though it was months to me and a great part of their lives to them. But they and their smiles, and the hugs that came with them, held all the good there has ever been.

They and I went right out into the garden and cut some of the lush lemon verbena leaves, brought them back to the deck where we rolled them one by one between our big and little hands, put them in the big jar of water to make amazingly sun tea. The twins couldn't quite get where the tea-making part was going to come from, even when I pointed to the sun. Then we went swimming at their favorite nearby spot on the lake, where they swam until the sun just couldn't stay up any longer.

I managed to hold out for a couple more hours than the sun.