Learning to Love

Prologue

A warm summer breeze brushed through the air, rustling the trees, as a little girl walked down a lonely sidewalk. The sun shone down on her as if to mock her. She hugged herself, rubbing her arms for comfort. She wiped her nose with the back of her hand, shuffling her feet as she continued to walk to an unknown destination.

Her bobbed hairstyle was a matted blonde mess, her eyes were sore and puffy from crying, and her nose was red and blotchy. Her clothes were too big for her but what child had their choice of clothes?

Children could be heard playing at a park nearby. The little girl sniffed once again, wishing to play with the other children. But she felt that she couldn't. She feared that the other children would find her too strange. The shy little girl sighed, feeling more tears escape and run down her cheeks.

"Hey, are you okay?" She stopped and tensed up, wondering who was talking to her. She hid behind her hair and hugged herself tighter. Because she didn't respond, the girl in front of her thought that she should help somehow.

It was obvious that the two girls on the sidewalk couldn't be any more different. While the blonde was shy, timid, afraid... The girl in front of her was quite the opposite. The brave girl, who happened to be a few inches shorter than the blonde, had long golden-brown hair that was braided into two French tail braids. She had a few freckles scattered across her face and blue eyes brighter than the sky. Her smile was kind yet courageous, missing one of her front teeth. She had a few scratches and bruises on her knees and arms from how reckless she would play.

"Well, you don't have to tell me. But you look really sad." The brave little girl put her hands on her hips as she began to think of something, anything, to cheer up the girl in front of her.

"My name's Blake. And I'm going to protect you from now on." The brunette extended her hand out to the blonde and bowed like she had seen in a movie once. Hesitantly, the blonde shook her hand.

Though neither of them said anything, they both were surprised by the connection they felt when their hands clasped together. It wasn't that they didn't want to say anything, they couldn't. They were too young to know how to describe a connection you might feel with a stranger.

"Sophia." She whispered shaking Blake's rougher hand. Sophia retracted her hand, wiping her nose with the back of her hand again.

For a second, she looked up at Blake and her heart swelled with hope. Her smile gave her hope that maybe the world isn't that bad. That some people might be good.

"Blake! It's time to go honey." The brunette's mother called. The two little girls snapped their heads towards the noise. Blake smiled while Sophia took a step back.

"I know what! I'll go get my mom and we can go get ice cream. That always makes me feel better when I'm sad." Blake smiled and ran off to go get her mother while Sophia stood there.

Then, something extraordinary happened.

Sophia smiled. She smiled a real, genuine smile. Because maybe, maybe, it was going to be okay.

"She's over here mom! She was sad so I thought we could go get-" Blake dragged her mother to the spot where the two girls stood before. But the blonde had disappeared.

"What? Mom! She was right here!" Blake pouted as she looked up at her mother. "How am I supposed to protect her if she disappears?" Blake's mother was just as beautiful as ever, a bright smile never leaving her face. She made sure to teach her daughter to never be afraid, to always be brave and courageous. 

"What's meant to be will happen." Blake's mother crouched down to the little girl's level and kissed her forehead. She cupped the small child's cheek and smiled. "How about we go for ice cream, just the two of us? Okay?" She stood up and Blake took her mother's hand, walking away. Blake couldn't stop thinking about Sophia for the rest of that day. She couldn't help but wonder if they would meet again or not.

Funny how fate has its way of saying hello.