A Glimmer of Kindness

The sandbox was usually my kingdom, a shimmering expanse of golden dust where I reigned supreme, Leo by my side. Or, at least, that’s how it was supposed to be. Today, however, the kingdom felt… crowded. Sam, the new menace to my reign, was there, his grubby hands already excavating a hole that threatened to swallow our entire shared universe. Leo, bless his oblivious, sunshine-haired heart, was giggling at something Sam said, his attention drifting away from me like a dandelion seed on a blustery day. My stomach did a familiar little flip, a sensation that was becoming less of a flutter and more of a frantic hummingbird trapped in a shoebox.

“He’s not supposed to dig *there*,” I muttered, kicking at a stray pebble. My voice, usually the sweet chirp of a robin, had devolved into the squawk of a disgruntled crow. It was the swing set. Sam was digging right next to the swing set, the very spot where Leo and I had perfected our synchronized soaring technique yesterday. It was *our* spot. And Sam was… intruding.

Leo, as usual, was too busy being delightful to notice my mounting distress. He was showing Sam a particularly impressive collection of smooth, grey stones. “Look, Sam! This one looks like a tiny potato!” he exclaimed, his voice ringing with pure, unadulterated joy.