I stepped in behind her, took hold of the black rubber seat, and drew it back until her feet left the ground.

“Ready for takeoff?” I asked, holding the seat steady against the small of her back.

“I’m ready!” she yelled, her voice ringing across the empty park.

I let go of the seat and pushed her out into the warm morning air.

She tipped her head back and laughed out loud as she soared up, a sound with no hesitation or fear in it at all.

There was no quick glance back over her shoulder, no stiff posture, and no anxious pause to see whether anyone was about to scold her.