“Did you bring my mask, Mom?”
My 9-year-old is still buckled in, one hand hovering over the button to release her seat belt. I look out the window at the playground. The scene is like a scrapbook of memories from the past 18 months; all rolled into one moment. The temporary sign declaring “PLAYGROUND CLOSED” still stands, but it has been pushed aside. Another sign detailing mask requirements has been amended with reflective tape; the resulting message is mangled and confusing.
For what felt like
