Diamonds

"Dad! Dad! We found diamonds!"

"Slow down," Craig told his girls as they came running pell mell with huge rocks in their hands. The girls circled around him, out of breath and bouncing excitedly.

"We're going to be millionaires!" Amy, the oldest, proclaimed.

"Yeah! Millontares," her baby sister Jeanie repeated.

"Hold on now," Craig told the girls. "Let's see what you have."

Six small hands were thrust before him. Craig carefully studied the gems on display. He pursed his lips to keep from laughing. He nodded slowly and collected himself. "You know,  I think you've got something there," he told them.

The three sisters bounced up and down, squealing excitedly and knocking into each other. Small pieces of  rock spilled to the ground. "Careful," Craig said. "You'd better put those diamonds down before you drop them on your toes."

With wide eyes and careful hands, the girls set their treasures on the ground. The family kneeled around them as Craig let out a low whistle. "I'm mighty impressed," Craig said reverently. "Who'd have thought you'd find diamonds right here in our own backyard. Amazing." He looked up. "Think there's any more?"

The girls looked at each other with wonder. Amy answered for them all and nodded.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Craig asked. "Go get 'em!"

The girls scampered off as their mother stepped outside, the screen door slamming behind her. "What are you all doing?" she asked her husband as she walked toward him.

Craig rose to his feet and dusted off his hands. He chuckled. "Oh, the girls think they found a mine of diamonds in our backyard. Think we're gonna be millionaires."

Carolyn studied the rocks at her feet. "Why didn't you tell them those aren't diamonds?"

Craig stared off into the distance at his daughters. He saw their small frames hunched over the ground, peering into the dusty dirt for bounty. "Oh, let 'em dream," he said. "If they think they can find something good in their own Arkansas backyard, let 'em. They'll be disillusioned soon enough."

Craig trudged off to his tractor while Carolyn went back inside to work on dinner.  Only the girls enjoyed the rich life that their diamonds promised. They dreamed of being millionaires all summer long.