3 pips

My wife and I were following this family of three, a father, a 4 year old daughter and a 2 year old boy. The dad walked straight out of the store leaving the 4 year old to help the 2 year old cross through traffic. The dad was getting in the truck and the little girl was trying to catch up. I saw the little boy pause at a puddle of some liquid that had gathered in a vacant parking spot about where the radiator would be. The boy stooped down and started to drink from the puddle. I scooped him up, his mouth rimmed in asphalt crumbs, handed him to his dad who was glazed over,all oxy eyed.