A Window Full of Fall

On a chilly fall morning, Imani and Mateo gathered red and yellow leaves beneath a maple tree. They wanted to make a leaf picture outside the community room. Neighbors could enjoy it on their way inside.

Imani arranged the leaves into a bright sun on the porch table. Mateo made a heading that said, “Fall Colors.” Beneath it, he added a caption: “Leaves from our maple tree.” Imani stepped back and smiled.

Then a gust swept across the porch. Leaves scattered over the steps. The sun was gone! Imani's shoulders drooped. “Let's put everything away,” she said. “The wind will just spoil it again.” She began gathering the paper cards.

Mateo caught a yellow leaf against his coat. “The leaves need shelter,” he said. He pointed to the community room's big window. “What if we make our sun inside? People could still see it from the sidewalk.”

Imani paused. Then she carried the leaves indoors. Mateo held each leaf against the window while she added small pieces of tape. They taped the heading above their sun and the caption below it. Sunlight shone through the leaves, making the colors look like glowing jewels.

Outside, another gust sent leaves tumbling down the sidewalk. This time, Imani grinned. Their picture stayed in place. “Fall gave us these colors,” she said. “We just needed a different place to share them.” Mateo waved as a neighbor stopped to admire their bright window.