The first three days of summer brought gray skies and claps of thunder, and kept the Halpert boys trapped inside raising trouble. But on the fourth day of their summer vacation, Jimmy woke up to sunshine and blue skies, and he tore out of his bed as quickly as his legs would take him.

Just as Jimmy hit the front door, his mother’s voice stopped him, “James Anthony Halpert don’t you go outside yet!”

“But mom!”

“Nope,” Larissa scolded from the kitchen door. “I told your brothers the same thing. You can’t go outside until your dressed and have had breakfast.”

“Fine,” Jimmy pouted, and stomped off towards the kitchen.

“And you better quit with the attitude, young man, or you won’t be able to go to the park at all today.”

Jimmy sank down into his chair at the kitchen table across from his older brothers, who were already well into their plates of waffles. Jimmy’s father sat at the head of the table with his cup of coffee and the newspaper while Kara cooed from her highchair.

“Do you have to go to work today dad?” Pete asked with his mouth full, and Richard Halpert nodded in response. “Awh man, I wanted to go fishing today.”

Richard chuckled, “Sorry buddy, but parents don’t get summer vacations. I still have to go to work, but why don’t we plan on going fishing this weekend out at the lake?”

“That sounds good,” Pete answered. “We should go camping too!”

“Yeah!” Tom agreed, shoveling a forkful of waffles into his mouth. “We haven’t been camping in ages!”

Jimmy nodded in agreement and Larissa merely chuckled.

“Your dad can take you boys if he wants, but I think Kara and I will stay here. I don’t think she or I would enjoy a weekend in the woods.”

“I’ll think about it boys,” Richard agreed, “but I’m not making any promises yet, okay?”

All three Halpert boys nodded their heads in agreement and continued to down their waffles. They weren’t about to argue with that at all. Jimmy smiled at his father and Richard ruffled Jimmy’s hair as he walked by.

“I’m outta here,” Richard told his family, quickly kissing his wife good bye, “I’ll see you later. Boys, be good for your mother today, got it? If not, you can kiss any talk of our camping trip goodbye.”

“Yes sir,” all three Halpert boys chorused in unison, and Richard smiled.

“Okay,” Richard said with a nod, “I’m hoping to be home early. If not, then I’ll call.”

“Sounds good honey,” Larissa answered. “See you tonight.”

Jimmy shoved the last piece of his waffle in his mouth and wiped his mouth with the back of his arm.

“James, use a napkin,” Larissa scolded. “If you boys are done with your breakfast, go upstairs and change into play clothes, brush your teeth, and put on your gym shoes. We’ll head to the park once all of you are ready.”

“Thanks mom!” they all chorused again and Kara, not to be left out of all the fun, let out a squeal and babble from her high chair. Jimmy ran up the stairs and into his room. Pete, Jimmy’s twelve-year old brother, had promised him that he’d teach him some basketball drills that he’d learned when he joined his junior high basketball team, and Jim couldn’t wait. He’d be in the fifth grade come September and wanted to join the basketball team at the local YMCA.

“Are you ready squirt?” Pete asked from the door. “Mom told me to come get you.”

“I’m ready,” Jimmy answered as he finished tying his old Reebok sneakers. “Did you grab the basketball?”

“Tom has it in the front yard,” Pete promised. “Let’s go!”

Jimmy nodded and followed his brother down the stairs and into his family’s minivan. The ride to the city park was quick, but Jimmy still impatiently bounced a leg up and down in excitement.

“Alright guys,” Larissa started as she pulled into the parking lot, getting her children’s attention. “Stay close to the basketball courts and the playground. Please make sure you don’t go too far so I can keep an eye on you. Kara and I will be near the benches.”

“Okay,” Tom agreed without hesitation.

“Make sure, Pete and Tom, that you keep and eye on Jimmy, understand?”

“Yes ma’am,” Pete and Tom answered together, and Larissa nodded.

“Good,” she said, “and Jimmy you better listen to your brothers.”

“Yes ma’am,” Jimmy answered with a muted groan. “Can we go now?”

“Yes you can,” Larissa told them as she un-strapped Kara from her car seat. “I’ll call you when it’s time for lunch, okay?”

They all nodded before running towards the basketball courts on the other side of the fairly quiet parking lot.

Within thirty minutes the Halpert boys were sweaty, hot, and tired. Jimmy jogged back over to the benches, where his mom was sitting with his sister, and collapsed onto the seat.

“Tired?” Larissa asked him, and Jimmy nodded. She handed him a packet of Sunny Delight and he drank it up quickly. “Are you having fun?”

“Oh yeah,” Jimmy exclaimed, “I love summer break. Thanks for bringing us to the park.”

“Of course honey,” Larissa assured her youngest son. “I’m glad you’re having fun with your brothers.”

“They’re going to help me get on the basketball team next year,” Jimmy exclaimed. “I’m so excited!”

“Well I’m proud of you,” Larissa told him, “and your dad is too. We can’t wait to go and cheer you on at your games.”

Jimmy beamed at his mom and grabbed a carrot stick to munch on.

“Can you sit here with Kara for a minute while I run to the car?” Larissa asked, and Jimmy nodded. As she walked away, he grabbed the hands of his one-year-old sister and engaged her in a game of peek-a-boo. A few minutes later Pete and Tom where on their way over to the bench where Jim was sitting with Kara.

“Where’s mom?” Tom asked as he shoved a handful of chips into his mouth. “I’m hungry.”

“She went to the car,” Jimmy informed his siblings, his eyes never leaving his baby sister. “I think she went to grab the sandwiches for our picnic.”

“Sweet!” Pete exclaimed happily.

“I’ve got lunch!” Larissa called to the kids as she reappeared in the distance. “Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and I’ve also got a few ham and cheese sandwiches too.”

“I want ham and cheese,” Jim told them, and Larissa handed him a foil-wrapped sandwich before distributing the rest of the picnic lunch.

“Make sure you throw away your garbage before going back to play,” Larissa told them, and they nodded, “there is a garbage can right behind you Tom.”

“I’m done,” Jimmy announced. “Can I go and play some more?”

“If you’ve cleaned up your mess, then yes you may.”

“Okay,” Jimmy answered with a nod of his head, “I’m going back to the basketball court.”

“Wait for your brothers to head over there,” Larissa warned. “Stay on this side of the parking lot until they’re ready to go.”

“Aw mom!”

“No arguing,”

“Alright,” Jimmy groaned and headed towards the swing-set, shuffling his feet. By now the playground had filled up with several families, and Jimmy managed to grab the last available swing in the line. He smiled to the blonde girl next to him, and when received only a scowl in response, Jimmy quickly turned his attention forward again.

Pumping his feet, he propelled himself higher and higher until it felt like he was going to go straight over the bar, and he pretended he was flying.

“Jimmy!” he heard someone call his name. “JIMMY!”

He looked over and saw Pete and Tom, standing several yards in front of the swing set, with the basketball under Pete’s arm.

His oldest brother started talking again, “You ready to go practice some more? Tom and I are headed back the basketball court.”

“Okay,” Jimmy answered his brothers before pumping his legs a few more times and preparing himself for a jump. “I’m coming.”

Jimmy pushed himself off the swing and went flying in the air towards his brothers, landing hard on the ground. Too hard.

“AH!” he cried out as a shooting pain went through his left leg. “AH!”

His eyes filled with tears as the pain quickly grew worse, and he looked up to find his brothers’ worried faces in front of him.

“Are you okay?” Tom asked as he shifted his weight from foot to foot. Jimmy shook his head no and Pete ran off in the direction of their car, where their mother was loading the remnants from their picnic into the trunk.

The tears finally spilled over and there was a crowd growing around he and Tom. Kids were whispering and pointing and Jimmy just wanted to get up and walk away.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t.

“Oh baby,” Larissa exclaimed as she reached her son, Pete not far behind her with Kara squirming in his arms. Larissa leaned over him to get a look and her eyes grew dark. “We’re going to take you to the hospital. I think you might have broken it.”

“Will I have to wear a cast?” Jimmy asked through his tears.

“I don’t know,” Larissa told him as she and Tom carefully lifted him up. “We’ll see what the doctors say. Pete, you need to get Kara into her car seat.”

Pete nodded wordlessly and walked ahead of them.

Jimmy’s heart was racing and his breaths were shallow as he continued to cry. It was the most pain he’d even been in. Even more than when he fell off his bike and had to have stitches put in his forehead.

When they got to the hospital, Larissa instructed Pete and Tom to sit with Kara in the waiting room until their grandparents could get there to pick them up, and went with Jimmy while he had an x-ray done.

It was hours later before they finally were able to leave. A blue cast ran from Jimmy’s ankle to just above his knee. Larissa and Richard, who had rushed over as soon as he had heard, were thankful for a clean break and no need for surgery. Jimmy, however, was mourning the loss of his summer vacation.

“This stinks!” he exclaimed as his dad helped him into the back of their minivan. “I’m going to have to wear this stupid thing all summer long.”

“You should have thought about that before trying to be Superman,” Richard scolded. “You’ll remember that for next time huh?”

“Oh Richard,” Larissa sighed, “I think he’s gone through enough without a lecture tonight. We’ll deal with this more in the morning. Can you run by the grocery store and get some popsicles?”

“Popsicles?”

“Please?”

“Okay honey,” Richard agreed after a moment, and Jimmy sent up a silent plea that the popsicles would be for him. His dad finished getting him in before turning to his wife to say, “Just popsicles? Do you need anything else while I’m there?”

“Um,” Larissa thought for a moment, “yeah actually. We’re almost out of milk and could you get some pancake mix? I used the last of what we had this morning.”

“Sure,” Richard assured her, and placed a quick kiss on her lips, “see you at home.”

Jimmy waived to his dad as he shut the door and drummed his fingers against his cast gently as they made the drive home.

It was going to be a long summer.

---

Three Thousand, Four Hundred, and Ninety-Nine

Man. This is the worst day of my entire life. I broke my stupid leg today jumping off of the swing-set at the park and now I have to have a cast on my leg all summer long. The doctor at the hospital said it would be at least six weeks.

SIX WEEKS!

This stinks! I’m not going to be able to practice basketball at all. I probably won’t make the team now. Stupid swing set. Of course this had to happen right at the beginning of summer. I’m totally bummed.

Though, I did get this really cool cast, and Tom and Pete already signed it. Mom and Dad too! And, I’ve gotten all the popsicles I could want since coming home. So…I guess it might not all be bad.