Ice Cream.

“Ooof,” I hear the ice cream man grunt as he nearly bends over backwards, literally, to retrieve the one flavor that my little brother , Jamie, will eat- a blue raspberry pineapple sherbet popsicle, which of course is the one flavor hidden in the hardest furthest away corner in the truck. Every time the ice cream man comes Jamie runs outside grinning ear to ear so thrilled to finally get his favorite dessert, and every time I almost want to stop him because I know how much pain is inflicted on the poor man just to retrieve the $ 2.50 popsicle. Yet, every time I end up talking him into it knowing how much joy it brings him, and knowing that I am only moments away from witnessing the most uplifting thing a sister can see. My favorite thing in the world is hearing my brother laugh or seeing his normally incredibly serious face break into a giant cheerful grin, and this warm sensation is what I get when Jamie gets his popsicle. It starts when the ice cream man hands Jamie his popsicle in exchange for his 10 quarters, after doing this my brother turns to me with his eyes twinkling and a look of pure satisfaction and pride on his face. Then, my heart leaps even more when my brother routinely holds the two corners and peels away the wrapper ever so gently after checking to make sure he is on the side with the stick, after doing so his face is set aglow with a smile of pure excitement. Finally, with the smile still plastered on his face he takes out the popsicle licks it and smiles with satisfaction and then turns to me with pure love and has me lick it just so I can enjoy the same sensation, and even though it is the most distasteful, putrid flavor I have ever tasted I lick it with great enthusiasm just so I can see my little brother shake with a stifled giggle and feel my heart jump out of my chest and reach for the heavens as I go to wrap him in my arms grateful beyond words to have him in my life.