"There you go, boy," Uncle Joe was yelling. He squeezed Lucas's shoulder, whapped him on the back. "You are one gutsy young man!" Chuckled. "Takin' after me...!"

Lucas's eyes switched blank into their corners. "I weren't even scared," he said. Muttered, in a turning, eight-year-old croak, "...Just wanted to see up closer, was all."

He held up the big turtle with both hands as he turned. Lion King-like. It snapped and Uncle jumped back and whoa!-ed and snickered as he re-gathered and hunkered down his weight to look it eye-to-eye.

Lucas's head tilted.

Was he better than Uncle, too...?


July 12th. "Courage".