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at his father; "so this is what a broken heart feels like." Billy said to himself. Billy spent the entire morning fighting back tears; he didn't want his mother and father to know how bad he felt. He did everything he was asked to do as quickly as he could, so his parents would believe that he was okay.

As they were leaving the house, Billy's father pulled a blue balloon from his pocket, and blew it up. He then tied the bottom of the balloon tightly, and then tied a long white string to the end of the balloon. "Here you go Billy." His father said as he handed the balloon to Billy. Billy took the balloon from his father. He stared at the balloon. "Now," he thought, "I will always have something of my daddy's; I will always have his breath. His breath will always be with me in this balloon." Billy held the balloon tight. He promised the balloon that he would never let anything happen to him. Now Billy felt as though he would have his father's spirit with him, watching over him.

All the way in the car, as they all three drove to the airport, Billy protected his blue balloon. Billy kept his balloon low, so that it would not obscure his father's sight of the rear view mirror. Billy gently held his blue balloon between his knees, keeping his eyes on it all the way to the airport. In this way, Billy could keep his eyes off of his father, off of his father's hands as they gripped the steering wheel. His father was an ironworker on the Golden Gate Bridge, so his hands were rough, and they looked older than the rest of his father did. Billy could not keep his eyes from looking of the back of his father's head, of his hair line, which was always cut sharp and straight off of his neck. Billy silently talked to his balloon; he told his balloon not to worry; he told his balloon that despite all the evidence to the contrary, they would both be okay.
The three of them, and Billy's balloon, reached the airport just in time to board the plane. There was no time for long good-byes. Billy believed that his parents had planned their arrival time for just this reason. Billy had just enough time to give his father a quick hug, and then rush off with his mother pulling him along as he held tightly onto his balloon. As his mother pulled him through security, Billy looked back to see his father turn and walk away; his shoulders were bent forward; his head was down; he looked old and sad. Billy fought back tears; feeling a huge, painful lump in his throat. Then he heard his balloon speak

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