“But I want to be a zombie!” “A zombie? Why? You’re nine. Can’t you be something cute – like a fairy or a cat? What about Cinderella?” “I could be a Cinderella zombie.” Mom rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. “We are not buying zombie stuff. End of story. So either pick something else or let’s [...]

Here we are, suddenly face to face. I’m not sure if I invaded his space or if he invaded mine, but we are definitely close. Is he black? Or white? He’s obviously both, but which is the primary? And why is he just staring at me? He’s small. Not tiny, but definitely diminutive. I wonder what he’s thinking of me? [...]