Small

Marshmallows

Darren pulled a marshmallow out of the bag then stuck it on the stick. He held it over the hot coals, rotating it every few minutes.

"Do you have to use the fire?" I asked, not sure why he was doing what he was doing. I'd only seen marshmallows in the bags. I'd never even had one.

He looked up at me with a puzzled look on his face. "That's how you roast it."

"So you roast marshmallows?"

He nodded. "You've never done this before?"

I shook my head.

He pulled the stick back and most of the white marshmallow was now a light brown color. He blew on it a few seconds before he pulled it off and handed it to me. "Try it."

I took it from him and looked at it. It looked harmless and I knew marshmallows were edible but I wasn't sure if it would taste any good.

I took a small bite and my eyes widened a little. It was good. Better than I was expecting.

He smiled. "I take it you like it?"

I nodded.

He put another marshmallow on the stick and started roasting it.

"Do you go camping a lot?"

He nodded. "My brother and I come here a lot. Sometimes our mom comes with us."

"Do you ever camp by yourself?"

He laughed. "Only in the backyard." He finished roasting the second marshmallow then handed it over to me.

I took a bite of the marshmallow.

Darren put another marshmallow on the stick and held it over the fire.

"Can I have another one?"

He laughed. "You haven't even finished the one you're eating now."

I looked down at the last bite between my fingers. I stuck it in my mouth then held my hands out for him to see that mine were empty.

He smiled and pulled his marshmallow back. "We can have more tomorrow night. The last thing I need is a little girl with a sugar rush."

I wiped my fingers off onto my pants and picked my bear off the ground where it sat beside me. I was trying not to lose it but I knew it was a possibility if I kept carrying it around with me everywhere I went. But I liked having it with me so I had to take that risk.

"Are you tired yet?"

Living with Owen, I didn't have a bedtime. He just told me to go to bed before he did so he didn't have to deal with me. That usually meant I went to be early. Or at least I went into the bedroom and played with the toys I had until I heard him coming.

I nodded, feeling my body getting tired and heavy.

He tossed his stick into the fire. "Do you want me to change you?"

I shook my head.

"Alright. Everything's in the backpack for you. There's a set of pajamas in there for you. It's supposed to get cold tonight so you might want to put them on."

I nodded.

"Unzip the tent when you're done so I know, okay?"

I walked to the tent and crawled inside. I zipped the plastic door shut and started going through the backpack. I changed into a new diaper and the pajamas then unzipped the door.

I set my bear on top of the sleeping bag that was mine then went to the opening. I stuck my head out and found Darren in the darkness. "What should I do with the dirty diaper?"