Diamond in the Yard

Your words about a pool party and baseball stayed with me. Being indoors all day felt static, so I stepped through the sliding door onto the patio. Beside a wide blue washbasin catching water, I found a dry patch of concrete. I laid out four smooth pebbles to mark home plate and the bases in an exact diamond. For the bat, I gripped a dried twig stripped clean of bark. The water in the basin rippled quietly nearby. I stood at home plate, balanced my stance, and took one solid practice swing through the open air.