Ariella was curled in a ball on her front porch. She was barely crying anymore, but there was evidence on her face of many tears from before.

Footsteps on the sidewalk made her look up, coming face to face with a lion. It says a lot about the shape Ariella was in that she didn't scream, or even start very much.

Instead, what ended up happening was the lion and Ariella just stared at each other for a while. In another situation it may have been scary, intense, awkward, or any number of other emotions. However, Ariella was currently drained of the ability to feel anything other than sad.

The silence was broken when the lion spoke in a deep, rumbling voice. "Why do you cry, daughter?"

Unable to care enough to be surprised, let alone try to lie, Ariella answered him truthfully. "My mom, the last person who might have cared if I lived, just died. My father never wanted me and none of my friends would care if they never saw me again. Now no one will love me. I'm no good at anything. I'll never be worth anything to anyone!"

"Child, I will love you," the lion responded.

"But what's the point if I'm not worth anything anyways?"

"Would you let me love you if I gave you worth?"

"Why would you want to do that?" she whispered, not daring to hope.

"Because I love you."

She wondered, what kind of worth can a lion give me?

"Do you know who I am?" the lion asked kindly.

"No"

"I am Aslan, creator of the worlds, but you might know me by another name," he replied.

And He wants me? Ariella was shocked.

"I want you more than you can know," Aslan answered her thoughts. "I have great plans for you, and I will adopt you as my daughter so that none can ever doubt your value again, if it is your wish."

"Really!" she exclaimed.

Aslan gave her a big lion kiss, then whispered to her, "Fear not, my child."

Feeling much better than she had before, Ariella threw herself at Aslan and buried her face in his mane.

"I love you, daughter mine, and soon I will tell you all about the plans I have for you," was Aslan's promise to her, and it breathed hope into her heart.