little steps and big steps

Can I come over to your house sometimes? He asked my neighbor as we were chatting in our shared driveway.

I looked down, surprised and started to back-pedal for him. Surely he didn't understand that it would mean hanging out at an unfamiliar house beloging to parents whose children were all grown up, where there were no matchbox cars or flashing, noisy fire trucks.

Our neighbors are very busy little man, maybe someday. I was trying to rescue him and not put her on the spot and back out of this gracefully.

You can come over today my neighbor said and looked at me for approval. He looked at me, eyes shining. Today!

Let's go have lunch, I said, thinking surely, he'll forget.

But he didn't. I want to go. I want to go. I want to go, he told me, following me around every room.

I want to go. By myself.

Oh.

I can walk there by myself mom, he told me zipping up his coat.

Not really, but I'll watch you, I said, from the porch.

I stood outside the back door as he unlocked the gate (by himself) and turned to flash a smile at me, his tossled hair sticking out from beneath his hood.

He was so proud.

He walked the steps from our house to the next, few enough to count but too many to measure.

Comments

[exile on mom street]

oh. oh my.

I have a tear running down my cheek with your name on it.

I am so not ready to let my little guy take those steps.

Merry Christmas to your lovely family.

[mayberry]

Aww, big boy!! (And what a nice neighbor you have too.)

[Julie]

Oh, that really touched me. Reminded me of our neighbor in NJ - single lady who worked at the UN - and my childhood neighbors who had grown children.

Merry Christmas!

[Anissa@Hope4Peyton]

It happens so fast. Too fast. It's a good thing though, really.

[patois]

Wow. Nicely told. I could feel so much.

[Binky]

Argh! He's growing up! Why do they keep doing this to us?