I close my eyes and calm myself. In the quiet darkness, she emerges—the little girl still inside me. I feel her innocence, a soft, unburdened presence. I sense her intelligence, bright and curious. I hear her inquisitive voice, asking endless questions of the world.
Where did the time go? The years folded over her like layers of sediment, but she remains, perfectly preserved, the truest part of me. I open my eyes, carrying her forward.