"Look Mommy! I can blow smoke!" my daughter called out gleefully, puffing great cloud of condensation into the cold air. I smiled down at her upturned face. Her cheeks were pink and her nose red with cold but she didn't seem to mind. Her small hand was slipped in mind and I gave it a squeeze. Enthralled with this new development, she slipped my grasp and ran ahead, puffs of smoke billowing behind her.
Even though the sun was shining, it was definitely winter. The sky was a sharp blue that bounced light off the frozen dew of the grass. I took a deep breath and felt the cold frozen air singe my lungs. The air smelled crisp and spicy. Following my daughter's lead, I watched as my exhale made a cloud of wispy white. I vaguely knew the mechanics of it all. Warm air full of water particles hits the cold outside and contracts, dispersing water particles or some such reasoning. I shook my head and smiled to myself. The technical aspect was so dry and boring. Much easier to believe that I was....part dragon.
"Mellie!" I cried and caught up with the huffing little girl in front of me. "Do you know why you can blow smoke?" I asked her.
"No mommy." Her face scrunched up in thought. "Why?"
"Well, it's because your great great great grandmother was part dragon. She was a snow dragon you see. So on very cold winter days, our dragon blood wakes up and we can puff smoke just like she did," I explained very seriously into a set of wide, delighted brown eyes.
"Ohhhhh," she whispered, a stream of smoke floating from her lips. I watched as her forehead creased and she asked me, "Why was she part dragon?"
"Hmmm, well, that's a long story. Here, give me your hand and I'll tell you the first part on our walk, ok? Long long ago, your great great great grandmother lived in Montana. Do you know where that is? No? Well, it's way up north and it gets very cold in winter. Kind of like today only much much colder..."
No comments:
Post a Comment