“I think I just met the happiest person in the world!” The little girl exclaimed, bouncing on her toes. Her eyes sparkled in excitement as she spoke, hands splayed out to either side.

“Oh, really?” Her father asks, listening contentedly as he cracked open an egg above a pan. It hit the surface with a sizzle, yolk breaking. “Why were they so happy?”

“I don’t know,” She hummed. “He bought me and Sally ice cream at the park, and even let me get sprinkles on mine.”

“Did Sally’s mommy see that?”

“She said it was okay!”

Her father smiled, covering the pan. “That was nice of him.”

“He was so nice, Daddy! He told me he was going to fly, and was going to see his mommy again!

The oil popped on the pan as the father lowered himself to the floor. As if he could change what she said, or somehow make sense of his daughters words. “He’s- he’s going to fly?”

“Mhmm!” She giggled at her fathers funny face. “He said he was going to fly over the tall buildings and up, up, up, into the clouds!”

The eggs burned, forgotten on the stove.

The happiest man on earth laid silent on the pavement, hidden behind a dumpster.