Ohhhh big big big big, I’m finally big enough that Momma said I can play with Uncle Kade by myself without my tummy needing her to tag along! We finally get to go have an adventure just us, oh goodness me, I can hardly breathe I’m so excited! I know just where to find him, too, or at least I think I do, so I race race race to his favoritest spot in Sylva, the biggest spot where the trees aren’t, and there’s sky smiling down on the ground instead of just peeking through the treetops overhead.

Uncle Kade likes the sky, which makes sense because the sky is super pretty and has sparkly twinkle stars in it when it’s dark out and the big bright sun when it’s daytime, and the moon that peeks out whenever it feels like it, sometimes in the daytime when it’s little bitty and grinning all happy-like, and more at nighttime when it’s big and round and glowy with light like Momma sometimes gets when she’s extra happy or cuddly or cozy-like.

I like the sky too, which is good ‘cause Uncle Kade’s one of my most bestest friends and it’s good when friends like the same things. Well I mean not ALL the same things, but it probably would be hard to be best friendy with somebody who didn’t like anything you did, especially if all the things they did like were dumb.

Thank goodness that isn’t the case with me an’ Uncle Kade. He’s pretty much the bestest.

Anyhow, so I run into the open space where Uncle Kade is easiest to find, and I don’t even trip on a root or a rock or anything which is at least I think pretty impressive. But I do sorta not do a very good job of stopping, and skid right into him with a bump and a crash and a great big “oof!” Ow. Oops. “Sorry, Uncle uh-KADE-ee-an.” I look up at him, my head ducked a little, all embarrassed but not enough to squish away the excitedment. “I didn’t meanta bump you, sorry ‘bout that, but also guess what, guess what! We can go on a ‘venture all by ourselves! Momma said and everything!” And just like that I’m all wiggly and excited again, grinning up at him, forgetting all about how my shoulder kinda hurts a little from that oomphy boomphy smashy crash because so what? We get to play!

Uncle Kade is a silly billy. He does this cute thing where he pretends not to smile, but just the veriest corner of his lips twitches anyhow like he’s holding in a laugh that’s just an incy wincy bit too big to contain. I like his games, ‘specially when he’s playing all serious-face. Just like now, when he says he doesn’t think I can handle adventure. And then shoves me, to make sure I’m not all pushovery. I wobble, a’cause he’s much bigger than me, but I catch myself before I fall.

“E’scuse me,” I proclaim indignantly, even if the indignantly-ness is just as pretend as his oh-so-seriousness. “I have been on adventures! Or at the very least one big adventure all by my loneso--uuuummmm...” Ohhh oops. Ummm, I actually very did not mean to say that. My eyes go wiiiiide, and my mind races to try to cover that one up. But being not truthful is not exactliest a thing I’m good at, and I gnaw on my bottom lip and look around for inspiration.

“Uhhh I mean, because being borned was a big adventure? Yeah. That. Mm-hmm, so see? I’m not all breaky, a’cause that didn’t break me. Right? That sounds good.” Yes. Good cover. I grin and meet Uncle’s eyes again, my smile maybe a little bit too big. “See, so we should go a’venturing! I like deserts, we could go find one of those! Or! Or we could go swimming! Or catch butterflies! Or if you wanna, we could climb a whole mountain! Or we could go make friends at the playground, you want to go play there?”