“IN!” I screamed as the ball flew  through the air. But to my surprise, the ball jumped off the hoop and sprinted over the small, two foot wall. 

I ran as fast as I possibly could and leaped over the wall to retrieve the ball. I chucked the ball with all the power in my decade old arms, just like the cannons I saw at DisneyLand. “No way!” Mr. Kevin chuckled, as the ball flew through the net, “You’re the best ten year old I’ve ever seen!”

Tommy flabbergasted, whispered, ”Lucky,” with a straight face. 

And there it was. My fourth knockout win of the day. “I’m sitting this one out,” I informed, mid-pant. I sat on the warm, little two foot wall that overlooked the parking lot. The memories flooded in, I realized my mom was a little late to pick me up. I didn’t sweat it though. Unexpected things happen. Another perfect sunset at my after school. 

* * *

 All my friends had already been picked up: Jaden, the boy who brought his yo-yo to school and talked non-stop about the lego movie; Soham, my friend who cried when he lost in wall-ball and wore the same gray jacket every day; Sarah, the girl who enjoyed the recess Cheez-it’s a little too much and called her best friend Goldfish. All these friends had parents who were alive and well. They were all at home eating In-N-Out takeout or the warm meatloaf like what my mom made but I always hated. Mom, I promise if you’re still alive, I would eat meatloaf anyday. 

I can’t lose my mom, I'm only seven. Please God, I’m only seven.

I sat on the little, cold,  two foot wall.  My eyes were fixed on the dark road, crowded with white, yellow and red lights. I just hoped to see the gray Lexus, the one that we visited DisneyLand in. The one that touched the white Tahoe snow. The one that delivered us to the peak of Mount Diablo, where we overlooked the San Francisco Bay.  Miss Emily sat next to me, the after school teacher forced to wait with me. I felt sorry for her as I watched her scroll through her Instagram feed. It seemed like an endless void. She paused and asked, “What’s your favorite car?”

I knew it was the type of question people asked when they try to cheer someone up. I hiccuped, wiped my nose with my sleeve, and explained quietly, ”The little lexuses. I like the gray ones with the small analog clocks.”

Miss Emily questioned, ”What do they look like?” I can’t think. I can’t talk. What is she asking? 

Snot flooding into my mouth, almost forming a river, I answered, ”Um, the, uh, ones with the cool vents in the front.”

Andrew, stop crying, you’re seven years old. “Do you know if my moms going to be here soon?”

“I’m sure she’ll be here soon,” Miss Emily stated, in a voice that sounded like she was trying to predict the next Superbowl. 

Inside the afterschool, the janitors’ vacuums blared over the carpet that I just played jenga on when it was bright. The vacuums paused, and the janitors chatted about the upcoming basketball game and laughed. How could they be so happy? The whole world seemed sad.

After what felt like two hours, a light as bright as the sun pulled in. Could it be? Was my mom alive? 

I stared at the parking lot, which seemed like it turned into a lively butterfly field, straight from my dreams. That dream had the gray Lexus SUV that I was glad to see in one piece.

My mom stepped out of her car, I could see the wrinkles on her nose. Her face lit up by the street light, she asked, “How should I pay you?”

“How about meatloaf for dinner,” my mom asked, as we were cruising down the highway. 

“Of course!”

* * *

I put my arms into my picture perfect form and slung the ball. 

“Andrew!” my mom yelled, to get my attention, still sitting in the car. 

“Wait, one more round!” I explained, with urgency mid-shot.

There were only three people left, because at this point all my friends already got picked up. My mom was late for the third day in a row. I finally learned how to have fun, and laughed at the first time it happened…three years ago. So, my mom sat on the warm, two foot, little stone wall and watched.

I know that when my mom is twenty minutes late, she’s alive. When something goes wrong, I know that I’ll still get to my goal and that I shouldn’t panic. Little obstacles like these occur, but I always know that everything will be fine.