Aiden wanted to ride. That’s all the reason you need when you’re seven and the sun’s still up at seven PM in a Pensacola June.

A mile and change through the neighborhood. Him leading because he always leads. Me keeping pace because that’s the deal. He talked the whole time — about Minecraft, about the cat, about whether sharks sleep. I didn’t have answers for most of it. Didn’t matter.

Nine minutes. Fifty-three feet of elevation that felt like nothing because you weren’t thinking about your legs.

Some rides don’t need a reason beyond “someone asked.”

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// RAPTOR GIRL