They sat on the couch going through the box of photographs that sat between them. She smiled at him, didn't seem to mind that he didn't return it. What was there to smile about? These photographs were all that was left of their youth.

"Look, Henry. Look at this one."

"No, I think I'm done for now," he said, starting to get up. Well, he tried to get up anyway. His body seemed to have other ideas, being unable to summon up enough strength to propel his weak behind up.

In reply Janice thrust the photo under his nose and in self-defense he grabbed it from her. Adjusting his glasses, he peered at the faded picture.

It showed three boys jumping through a sprinkler, mouths open in delighted laughter, bodies smooth and oh, so young. Henry couldn't remember being that young.

"There you are," Janice said, leaning over and touching the nearest boy. "And Louie, and--oh, I can't recall his name, shame on me."

"James," Henry mumbled, then cleared his throat. "It's James. James Simpson."

"Oh yes, of course. How could I have forgotten him?" She paused and he thought maybe she would drop the subject, but she kept on. "This must have been taken right before the accident."

"Yes." Henry couldn't say more than that one word, couldn't stop the flood of memories from long ago. How he and the other two boys would run through the neighborhood all summer, getting into mischief, trampling flowers, playing tricks, all innocent, all fun and games.

Until that fateful afternoon when Louie suggested they walk down to where they were building the new high school. It was right outside of town, and work had stopped for the weekend.

"I don't know," Henry said, then flushed when the other two boys laughed at him.

"Come on, Henrietta," James teased, using the hated nickname that always made Henry feel like a fool.

Louie began to cluck and flap his wings, and of course Henry had to laugh too, even though he never thought it was half as funny as those two did.

The walk down to the site was long and by the time they reached it, they were sweating and uncomfortable.

"Man, I'm burning up," James complained, taking off his T-shirt. The other two boys did the same.

"What are we doing down here anyway?" Henry said, wiping his face with his shirt. "There's nothing here except that big hole and piles of rocks and sand. Boring."

"Nope, not boring." Louie grinned. "Let's play explorer."

"Yeah!" James started running toward one of the mounds of sand. "It's a mountain!" And indeed, it certainly looked like a mountain, tall and so tempting. for a minute Henry wished he'd thought of it first. In another moment James was climbing up, his feet sliding as he tried to reach the top. Before the other two boys could make a move, the top of the sand pile suddenly slid down, covering James as though he was never there.


Henry let his eyes rest one more time on the happy boys and then placed the photograph carefully back in the box.