Here are four reasons why a little "brat energy" is the secret ingredient to the best summer of your life.

She looked... small. Not bratty. Just small.

I checked the stand. I checked the spot where I left her. I walked the perimeter of the park. My heart began to hammer a frantic rhythm against my ribs. The sun was setting, casting long, distorted shadows. The crowd, once a comfort, now felt like a hiding place for every worst-case scenario.