When we first met

YEARS AGO

Will turned to the nine year old girl seated besides him. They were by the shore enjoying the sound of the waves. He had told her of some of his difficulties and she listened attentively even comforting him when he needed. He knew people might find it weird that a sixteen year old boy would enjoy the company of a little girl and choose to stay with her but it was just so comforting for him. She was as young as his sister but the two had different personalities, he loved his sister very much but he always yearned to be with this little girl.

He stood and wiped his pants, he couldn't be there for long "you should go back home or your mom would worry." He stretched his hands to help her up

"Can't we stay a bit longer?" she protested but took his hand anyway rising to her feet. She wiped the sand off her dress "I'm sure mom wouldn't mind."

He wouldn't mind it either but he needed to work. He had sent Lori Anne to enroll in a boarding school with part of the money their parents had left them. she would be well fed, clothed and educated while he took online classes and spent most of his time working different jobs and he visited Lori Anne as often as he could "I have to work."

She pouted adorably "but you don't have any children, why do you work all the time."

"Mmm…" he thought of how best he could explain it "One day I'll also have a wife and children and if I work now, ill be able to provide well for them in the future so that they will have everything."

Her eyes lit up "You'll be rich." He nodded his head and was about to smile in satisfaction when she stopped him with her shocking words "can I be your wife then? We'll have lots of children together."

He knew she might just be silly and thinking like a child but it still touched him "you…you want to be my wife in the future?"

She nodded "my mom said when I grow up, I would marry someone I like and I like you Will." She smiled widely at him "so we must marry right?"

He smiled back at her "okay Gracie, let's get married in the future." she nodded and giggled "you can't take it back." He thought about something and his eyes lit up "before we get married, you have to be my girlfriend."

"Really? What would we do?"

"Well, we'd hold hands and I'll buy you nice things often and I'll protect you."

"would we have to kiss?" she asked with a disgusted look

Will almost laughed "of course not, only when we get married in the future."

She nodded happily "okay then, I'll be your girlfriend."

He took her hand and smiled coyly while looking at his feet. He was feeling very pleasant "you must not like any other boy from today except me."

"yes never."

***

Will smiled happily as the memory of that day came to him, it was a very long time ago but that was one of his best memory, he'd held her hand happily and walked her home. He twirled his chair around; his gaze caught the two still smiling together. His smile immediately fell. Of course, he didn't expect that she would forget him years later. If it were up to him, they would be planning a wedding from the first day he'd seen her again.

He looked closer at them. They were slacking off so confidently, he wondered when he became that generous. If she had been smiling at him then he would have been willing to make an exception but he couldn't have this.