December 1
My friend A., age 8, spent the night, and she, an author, artist, and illustrator, is making a book. She worked on the cover for a long time. On the inside, we made up great fake copyright and Library of Congress information and other bogus random numbers and things, just as there is inside The Polar Express. And then after thinking awhile, she wrote a dedication: “To my friends, for always cheering me up. ”
I said, “We must laminate it.” So we drove to Kinko’s. A said she always thought people were saying, “King’s Cove.” (Now I always will. That’s so much better. No kink + a safe haven. That’s exactly what the place is: a kink free harbor of regal perfection.)
The cover was still warm in her hands as she stood out in the parking lot in front of King’s Cove. She held it up to the grey sky. And proclaimed, loud and proud to the heavens, the future movie of her life. to whoever is tracking milestones, ” DECEMBER ONE TWO THOUSAND AND SEVEN. FIRST LAMINATION!”
I love that moment with my whole life.
Later, A. said, “Are you still taking notes on me?” And, “Do you laminate your covers for your books at Kinkos?”
And then it snowed. December 1, 2007.
First snow of the year.
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