Max was one. Max had soft hair and round cheeks. It was Easter morning. Sunlight made bright squares on the floor.
Mom put a small basket in Max's hands. “Happy Easter,” she said.
Max looked in the basket. A blue egg. A yellow egg. A pink egg. He tapped one. Tap, tap. It felt smooth.
Dad held out a spoon. “We will paint eggs,” he said.
On the table were little cups of color. Red like an apple. Green like grass. Purple like a grape. Max dipped an egg. Drip, drip. Mom wiped his fingers. “All clean,” she said.
Max giggled. “Egg!” he said.
“Egg,” Mom said back, and kissed his head.
Then they went to the garden. The air smelled like warm dirt and flowers. Small paper eggs hid near a pot. One sat by a stone. One peeked from behind a leaf.
Max toddled and pointed. “There!”
Dad picked it up and put it in Max's basket. “You found it,” he said.
A bunny hopped by. It stopped and twitched its nose. For a tiny moment, the bunny's fur looked like it had little sparkles, like sun on water.
Max waved. “Hi,” he said.
The bunny hopped away, calm and quick.
Back inside, Mom opened a chocolate egg. She broke it in two. “For you,” she said.
Max took a small bite. He smiled, slow and sweet.
They sat together and watched the eggs shine in a bowl.
Kind hands and shared joy make every day brighter.
