A Morning Gift

"Hey, Tim."

Tim furrowed his eyebrows and attempted to pull the covers up. The gentle nudging continued.

"Tim, wake up!"

The nudging became a little harder and finally, Tim pulled himself up and upzipped the sleeping bag, rubbing his eyes and blinking blearily up at his brother. "What time is it?" he yawned as he looked around the tree house. The sun normally woke him up by 8AM where the light enters the poorly cut window and reaches where he slept, but today, the sun had just barely made it above the horizon.

"About 6 or so," Axel answered, "But c'mon, I want to show you something."

"Something?" Tim wasn't ready to leave his warm covers (it may be summer, but the nights here still got chilly!), but anything his brother is waking him for at 6AM must be important.

"Oh, close your eyes," Axel instructed as he pulled Tim by the hand towards the balcony.

"Okay," Tim grumbled blearily and kept his eyes closed. He felt the morning chill on his skin much stronger out here than inside and shivered. Axel placed an arm around him and pulled him close. Hmm? What's that buzzing sound?

"Okay, ready? Open your eyes!"

Tim did as Axel instructed and opened his eyes to a million flapping wings, the clear translucent colors moist from morning dew. Their tiny bodies zipped back and forth, surrounding the tree house in their performance.

"There's so many!" Tim yelled as he ran to the railing to get a closer look at the swarm of dragonflies before them. A couple zipped by back and forth in front of him as though to say hello and Tim broke into a smile, "Oh my gosh, how are there so many?!" He laughed as he held his hand out, most of the dragon flies dodged past, but one landed on his finger briefly before leaping off into flight again.

"I guess they're hunting together," Axel shrugged. His guess was as good as anyone's ... well, except for maybe any Odonatist. ...Or even anyone well versed in entomology.

"Yay, thank you, thank you, Axel!" Tim grinned as he ran around the edge of the balcony getting closer looks at the insect and trying to interact with them.

Axel smiled as he watched his younger brother. It was hard work, living on their own and taking care of Tim. But seeing him run around with such a large smile on his face made it all worth it.