The Fall

I was so proud of Josie as I watched her naked buns go up the stair case. While playing blocks in the nude is perfectly acceptable when dad is away, clothing must be worn at the dinner table. Even mom has a few rules.

I turned away for a second, heard a scream and then watched in horror as my daughter's naked body flew down the stair case crashing violently into every other (carpeted) stair.

I ran to her and hugged held Josie as close to me as humanly possible. Owen was cautiously walking down the stairs repeating something I couldn't hear over the heartbreaking sound of Josie's sobs.

I just held her and said, "you're okay, you're okay" even though I really wasn't sure that she was. As I watched Owen walk down the stairs, I thought about how I was going to lure him into the car and what I could bring to entertain him for the hours we were going to spend at the Emergency Room. As I rocked back and forth, rubbed Josie's back and fought off tears of my own, I wondered if there were any Chinese Grandparents at the park and how I could communicate with signs that they needed to watch Owen while I took Josie to the hospital. As she started to cry harder, I reached back in my pocket for my cell phone and thought about whether I should call my mom or 911.

My thoughts were interrupted as Josie started to shake in my arms and I realized I should try to figure out what was wrong with her. As I held her away from me, I realized she was laughing hysterically.

"Josie? Are you okay? Are you laughing?" I asked.

"I fell down the stairs a lot," she said and threw her head back and laughed until she cried...again.

Owen finally got to the bottom of the stairs and I realized what he'd been saying all along.

"I not fall, mom." Owen said.

"Fall, Owen, Fall." Josie said. "It's fun."

A blast, I thought as I put Josie down and went back to making dinner.