Her Daughter Cheered Before the Arrow Landed
Brian Armer
Her daughter cheered before the arrow reached the target. “Mom! You did it!” At the shooting line, Rachel kept the bow pointed downrange, just as the instructor had shown her. She wanted to turn around and see her daughter’s face. Instead, she waited until he told her she could lower it.
“Well,” she said, “I certainly sent it somewhere.” Behind the waiting line, Ellie was still clapping.
The archery lesson had been Rachel’s idea, although she had nearly talked herself out of it that morning. There was laundry to finish, a grocery list on the counter, and something reassuring about spending Saturday doing things she already knew how to do. Then Ellie had appeared at the door wearing her shoes. “You said we were going.” So they had gone.
The outdoor range was open to the breeze. Ellie tucked her hair behind her ears, only for it to blow loose again, and Rachel zipped her jacket before stepping up for her lesson. For the first few minutes, she had been all elbows. She listened carefully, adjusted her stance, and asked the instructor to show her the grip again.
Ellie watched from the waiting area. Rachel recognized the expression on her face. She had worn it herself at swimming lessons, school plays, and the first bicycle ride without anyone holding the seat.
When her turn ended, Rachel stepped back from the line. Ellie met her in the waiting area and slipped a hand into hers. “Were you nervous?”
“A little.”
“You didn’t look nervous.”
“That’s because you were behind me.” Ellie grinned.
They settled onto a bench while the next archer took a turn. After the hours outside, Rachel’s lips felt dry. She reached into her jacket for the water bottle. Ellie leaned against her arm, watching the bow rise at the shooting line. “Can we come again?”
“Let’s find out how badly I missed first.”
Once the instructor called the range clear, they walked down together to look at the target. Rachel’s arrow sat near the outside edge. She stood in front of it, trying to decide whether to be pleased. Ellie held up the phone. “Get beside it, Mom.”
“It’s not exactly the middle.”
“I know. I want you in the picture.”
Rachel stepped beside the target. Ellie backed up, framed the photograph, and gave the instruction her mother had given her a hundred times. “Okay. Now smile like you mean it.”
If your outdoor days leave your lips feeling dry too, explore Zombie Lips from Zombie Sport Co. A little lip care for afternoons spent trying something new, with someone you love cheering you on.