“You’re next,” I told Tanisha, who sat on a second toboggan. I gave her a running start. Her scream was three times louder than the children’s. Thomas and Naomi waited for her at the bottom of the hill, jumping up and down. “Tee! Tee!” I smiled. My nickname for Tanisha was much easier for them to pronounce than her given name. The trio climbed back up the hill, which wasn’t particularly high compared to the hills that Tanisha and I had sledded down as children. Knox County was much flatter than our hometown in Cuyahoga County. The only thing that would have made the afternoon better was if Ruth had agreed to come with us. “It’s your turn,” Thomas shouted and handed me the string of the toboggan. I took it. “Okay. Who wants to ride with me?” Naomi waved her hand in the air. “Let’s do it.” I positioned the toboggan to face downhill and sat on it. Naomi snuggled in front of my lap. “I’ll give you a push.” Thomas’s mittened hands dug into the upper part of my back.
