And with the best sight of her life I see her see things for the first time. Like the Olympic ski jumps up on the mountain. "Look at those giant slides!" she gasped leaning flat against the glass of the car window. Sophie in the next seat over, "Beach, those aren't slides, you idiot..." And we laugh it off because although her brain is 11 yrs old her vision isn't quite that grown-up.
Well? She would ride it out like she always does. The same way she does every Independence Day. At dusk we get the bikes out and ride down the river trail to the International Peace Gardens. We sit in the grass as minorities in a sea of 1st & 2nd generation immigrants and watch the fireworks- it is the best seat in the whole valley.
And that kid who can't see in low light, it is her favorite night of the year. We ride home in the dark hoping for the best. She flies through the night with ease as we call out from behind her, "Can you see the pole?" "Can you see the car?"
She rides and she laughs. She might let you pull up beside her but she doesn't let anyone get in front of her- fighting & winning her own war of independence.
At the last leg of the trail I always make myself the same promise: I will take her out night riding again, soon... this year I going to keep it.
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