The warm window of time is closing. July becomes August, August becomes November. I forget what it’s like not to have friends a call away or a short drive across town. We watch the fireworks together. Walking across the street with Madison I grab her hand and we run. We run until we can’t catch our breath. Some of the fireworks fall dangerously close to the shooting field. We light sparklers on the walk home. Lauren’s on a sugar high and I can’t stop singing. Today is a ruby milestone in the hard rock that was summer.