Claire's Backyard Birthday Party

Claire's birthday party in the backyard today. Pizza on a long table under a fabric bunting, a banner with her name strung along the block wall, balloons tied wherever they'd hold. The grownups mostly stood around the umbrella table with wine while the kids ran the yard.

The main event was an old steamer trunk set in the corner by the wall. A dozen kids piled onto it at once, working the latches with little keys — a boy in a striped shirt bent over the lock, a toddler in fairy wings sprawled across the lid, everyone's hands in the way of everyone else's. It took a while. At one point you couldn't see the trunk at all, just a ring of heads.

When it finally opened, balloons came out and everyone tilted their heads back at once to watch them go. Claire stood there in her tiara and blue dress with a key still in her hand, looking straight up.

One pink balloon didn't make it out of the trunk.