Freefall

     Jeff's gone out the door to play golf.  Check.  The boys are down for their naps. Check.  Now's my chance!  Time to head to the attic and grab a box of Christmas  decorations.  Time to start making the tree beautiful so when the boys wake up, they see a magical surprise from the elves!  I can't wait to see their eyes light up! 
     Filled with excitement, I headed out the side door into the garage and glanced up at the pull string for the attic stairs that hung down over where my car was normally parked.  I had backed the car out earlier so that I could unfold the steps into the attic with nothing in the way.  The gray concrete floor under my thin slippers felt icy cold.
     Reaching up on tiptoes as far as I could stretch, I managed to grab the bottom of the string.  One last tug and the attic stairs came down slowly.  I unfolded them carefully.  Climbing up, memories of what those boxes in the attic contained came quickly to mind.  Ornaments from students occupied much of the space, but my most treasured pieces were homemade reindeer my four and a half year old had made in preschool.  My five month old wasn't up to making anything more than diapers that needed changing, but I knew time would pass quickly and he would be adding his contribution to the tree sooner than I could imagine!  Thoughts of my little ones waking up to the twinkling lights of the tree filled my head as I slowly moved up the narrow steps.  Reaching the top, with the upper half of my body in the attic, I surveyed the area above our two car garage.
     Boxes and bins of all shapes and sizes sat waiting to be organized into some kind of sensible order, but that would happen another day.  My eyes finally settled on some brown cardboard boxes labeled "Xmas" in a back left corner.  Ready to step fully into the attic space, I left the stability of the stairs heading toward the boxes and trying to choose one to carry down so I could begin the fun!  I paid no attention to where I was planting my left foot.  Suddenly I felt the floor begin to give way and heard the thin sheet rock cracking in two...