Introduction
Haley sat by the sandbox in her back yard. She reached into the sandbox and grabbed a handful of sand. She let the sand slide of her hand like water. She smiled, her little three year old face beaming with pleasure.
"Haley! Haley, honey! Come meet the new neighbors', her mum yelled from inside the house.
Haley stood up on her short fat little legs and toddled over to the back door. Her mum smiled down at her. She put her hand down and little Haley grabbed two of her mum's fingers with her whole hand. Her mum bent down and lifted her up.
"Honey, this is the new people in the house next door", her mum said, pointing to someone in front of her.
It was then that Haley turned her little head around and stared at the little boy being carried by this lady.
"Hi, aren't you a cutie?" the lady said.
"Yes, she is", the little boy in her arms muttered then promptly stuck his fingers in his mouth.
"Come on, Deb. Let's leave these two in the sandbox and have a cup of tea", Haley's mum said while the two children stared at each other in awe.
As soon as Haley and the little boy were left on their own in the sandbox with their mums having tea in the back patio, they greeted themselves in the typical 3 year old fashion.
"Haley", the little girl said sticking her hand out.
"I'm Nathan. Nathan Scott", the little boy said proudly, grabbing her hand and shaking it a few times.
The two children played in their sandbox for the next
half an hour, barely talking but each aware of the other's
presence.
It was only later when their mums took them out for ice
cream, did they connect for the first time it what would be a long
and complex relationship.
"Here, one for you Nathan and Haley, that's yours", Haley's mum said giving them each an ice-cream cone. She and Deb then left them in the security of a public play-pen in the park with ten other 3 year olds playing under the watchful but tired eye of the old lady in charge of the play pen.
Nathan and Haley sat in one corner, licking their melting ice-creams, each sitting in their own silence, unable to comprehend the feeling they felt for one another. It was not love for love was a far too complex thing to be able to be understood by simple minded three year old. It was more of an understanding between these two strangers who had nothing in common.
"Hali, Hali stop crying. Why you cry?' little Nathan said unable to pronounce her name properly.
"My ice-cream fell", she said, pouting.
"Here, have mine", little Nathan said, giving her his barely touched ice-cream.
"But you like ice-cream", Haley said, tears streaming down her face.
"Yeah, but I like you too and I want you to be happy", he said, grabbing her hand in his little fist and putting the ice-cream carefully in her hand. "Don't drop again".
Haley licked her new ice-cream then looked at him.
"Thank you", she smiled, looking at her hero.
Nathan awed her by her sweet smile knew that he had just me an angel.