No one has ever connected this many Slip ‘n Slides, you’re pretty sure. Twenty-plus plastic runways, slick with hose water and cream, down the side of the tallest hill in town, through the lavender and rosemary, then the strawberry patch, and off a ramp by the lake. Never mind the holes or the rocks alongside. You’re going to ride this thing all the way to the soaring finish. Other parents look up, hands shielding their eyes from the sun. Kids sucking down lemon-lime soda and cherry slushies gather at the top, jostling for spots in line. But they need to wait their turn. You built this thing, and it’s your time to shine.
