A pink hair tie held my head of dying weeds from the freedom of the wind. The car’s air-conditioning had been shot for awhile, so the windows filled the car with the fresh air of late summer.

I finally parked the car. Late at night the only noise that echoed through the lot was the hum of passing vehicles. The light shining from the sliding doors pierced the darkness and highlighted my dirty, white sweatshirt.

My mom and I entered the store. In our quest for baby clothes and shower presents, we relived memories of my baby days. “Y’know, mom. It’s been a while since we’ve had baby food.” We shared a sly smirk as we put the packets of baby food in the cart.

At home, we broke off on our own, leaving each other with their newly bought items and baby food. Like a toddler again, I was struggling to open the pouch of mushy fruit. I grabbed a small, green pocket knife that I bought from Biebel’s and finally put it to use. Until then I’d only use it for extra security when I go out alone and cutting paper into smaller sections.

I snapped the small plastic pieces that held the cap before wafting the smell towards my nose. I closed my eyes and let my mouth do its job. The taste was new, yet familiar. Despite the odd flavor, I couldn’t help but smile. It reminded me of how I feel watching videos of when our old cat Cleo’s tree was still in the living room. I can’t believe I was small enough to fit in that thing.

The warmth of childhood wrapped around me, making me feel young again. After all that time, the years of mental suffocation, this helped me feel better.