Thousand: Four Hundred Six

the ice cream,” the mother said. The two boys sat up and began to work their way down the tree. Where one put a hand, the other put his hand just above. Where one put a foot, the other put his foot next to it. Until hand covered hand gripping branch and foot lay atop foot as it touched down. The sky boy slid an arm under the earth boy’s shirt and it glided out the right sleeve and right hand and right hand interwove fingers. The earth boy felt the sky boy’s naked foot wriggling down his pantleg, then