He jumped up and down on the trampoline, excited to be outside with his big brother. His cheeks were red and filled with joy from running in circles. He was wearing a yellow hoodie with stains from the smoothie he was drinking an hour ago. His shoes were navy blue converse that had scuffs on the tips. He wanted to show me his tricks.

He ran full speed and did a front flip, landing him on the wall of mesh that surrounded the trampoline.

“Good Job, Brayden!” I yelled with excitement.

He stood up for his next trick. He jumped twice, clapped in the air, like a cheerleader, and then surprisingly did a three year old’s version of a toe touch.

It wasn’t the good dancing rhythm months prior, or the playing with his big sister’s barbies that caught my attention—but this cheerleader toe touch. It was at this point that I realized that he needed to hang out with his brothers a lot more. I couldn’t believe it.

He climbed off the trampoline steps, acknowledged his lost matchbox car in the grass and then ran inside.

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