Baby, Just Say Yes
We were both young when I first saw you.
"Katharine Sophie Genevieve Sterling!"
Upon hearing this sharp shrill from her nanny, the raven-haired, blue-eyed five-year-old turned around and ran down the corridor, only stopping when she was an inch away from the starched white of the nanny's uniform.
"Oh Kathy, how many times have I told you to not vanish just before you are needed," the nanny admonished. She bent down, grasped Katharine's chubby arm and led her towards the ballroom. They paused before the oak-paneled doors.
"Remember, Kathy, you will be on your best behaviour tonight. Or no more visits to the garden for a week. And I mean it!"
Little Kathy nodded her angelic head up and down. She did not really understand why she had to be dressed up in this itchy, uncomfortable dress with stockings and shoes that made her feet extremely hot, but if Nanny told her to do so, she must follow her.
The nanny then swung open the door and led Katharine through the vast crowd of glittery skirt hems and six-inch heels to a tall, regal-looking couple.
"Sir, Madam, here is Katharine," she announced imperiously. She then curtseyed and quickly left.
"Katharine, darling," her mother acknowledged her. Then, turning to the couple standing next to her, she introduced them to her daughter. "See, Kathy, you will have a new friend soon! Here's Tristan!"
It was only then that Katharine noticed a shy-looking little boy about her age, previously hidden by his mother's dress. She wrinkled her nose in disgust. Surely her mother knew that little boys were disgusting, repulsive little creatures. But her mother was instructing her and Tristan to go and play together. She sighed. Addressing Tristan, she chirped, "Come on!"
Tristan followed Katharine as she made her way through the crowd of people. Slipping out of the doors, she glanced around the empty corridor and then darted to a large window nearby, swinging herself onto the ledge. She turned around to look at Tristan and motioned to him to do the same. Once he was on the ledge, she grabbed his hand and together, they jumped down onto a grass patch in the vast garden.
"What is this place?" Tristan spoke for the very first time.
Kathy shot him an appraising look.
"This is my garden. I always play here. So I thought you may like it."
"Oh," Tristan mumbled. "It's a very nice garden."
"Thank you," Kathy replied, tossing her little head. Perhaps little boys were not as vile as she had previously thought. At least this one was able to tell a nice garden from the ugly ones, like the one she had seen at the park the previous weekend.
They walked in silence for a few minutes, stopping when they reached the fountain. They sat down on the bench.
"So, what kind of toys do you like to play with?" Tristan ventured hesitantly.
"Dolls, of course. My nanny and mamma say that dolls let girls pretend to be ladies for that moment," Kathy replied importantly.
Tristan nodded.
"Do you have a boyfriend?" he posed.
Kathy opened her blue eyes wide. "What's a boyfriend?"
"You know, a boy that is your friend. Someone who kisses you when he meets you. And someone who draws hearts for you."
Kathy considered this for a moment. "No, I don't."
"Can I be your boyfriend, then?" Tristan asked.
Kathy nodded. "Yes, you may."
Tristan smiled. "Then, I should kiss you, shouldn't I? If you don't mind."
"No, I don't, I think." Kathy replied.
Tristan then brushed his lips against her cheek for the shortest of seconds.
"Now, I will draw a heart for you," he proclaimed. He picked up a stick from the bush nearby and carved a heart into the sandy ground at its roots.
Kathy smiled. "You're a nice boyfriend. Though I still think that boys are disgusting."
But before Tristan could reply, a white figure emerged from the darkness. It was the nanny.
"Children, what are you doing out here? You could get hurt! Come back inside at once. Your parents are looking for you," she cried, and shepherded them back into the warmth of the palatial bungalow.
And that was the last Kathy saw of her boyfriend.
Upon hearing this sharp shrill from her nanny, the raven-haired, blue-eyed five-year-old turned around and ran down the corridor, only stopping when she was an inch away from the starched white of the nanny's uniform.
"Oh Kathy, how many times have I told you to not vanish just before you are needed," the nanny admonished. She bent down, grasped Katharine's chubby arm and led her towards the ballroom. They paused before the oak-paneled doors.
"Remember, Kathy, you will be on your best behaviour tonight. Or no more visits to the garden for a week. And I mean it!"
Little Kathy nodded her angelic head up and down. She did not really understand why she had to be dressed up in this itchy, uncomfortable dress with stockings and shoes that made her feet extremely hot, but if Nanny told her to do so, she must follow her.
The nanny then swung open the door and led Katharine through the vast crowd of glittery skirt hems and six-inch heels to a tall, regal-looking couple.
"Sir, Madam, here is Katharine," she announced imperiously. She then curtseyed and quickly left.
"Katharine, darling," her mother acknowledged her. Then, turning to the couple standing next to her, she introduced them to her daughter. "See, Kathy, you will have a new friend soon! Here's Tristan!"
It was only then that Katharine noticed a shy-looking little boy about her age, previously hidden by his mother's dress. She wrinkled her nose in disgust. Surely her mother knew that little boys were disgusting, repulsive little creatures. But her mother was instructing her and Tristan to go and play together. She sighed. Addressing Tristan, she chirped, "Come on!"
Tristan followed Katharine as she made her way through the crowd of people. Slipping out of the doors, she glanced around the empty corridor and then darted to a large window nearby, swinging herself onto the ledge. She turned around to look at Tristan and motioned to him to do the same. Once he was on the ledge, she grabbed his hand and together, they jumped down onto a grass patch in the vast garden.
"What is this place?" Tristan spoke for the very first time.
Kathy shot him an appraising look.
"This is my garden. I always play here. So I thought you may like it."
"Oh," Tristan mumbled. "It's a very nice garden."
"Thank you," Kathy replied, tossing her little head. Perhaps little boys were not as vile as she had previously thought. At least this one was able to tell a nice garden from the ugly ones, like the one she had seen at the park the previous weekend.
They walked in silence for a few minutes, stopping when they reached the fountain. They sat down on the bench.
"So, what kind of toys do you like to play with?" Tristan ventured hesitantly.
"Dolls, of course. My nanny and mamma say that dolls let girls pretend to be ladies for that moment," Kathy replied importantly.
Tristan nodded.
"Do you have a boyfriend?" he posed.
Kathy opened her blue eyes wide. "What's a boyfriend?"
"You know, a boy that is your friend. Someone who kisses you when he meets you. And someone who draws hearts for you."
Kathy considered this for a moment. "No, I don't."
"Can I be your boyfriend, then?" Tristan asked.
Kathy nodded. "Yes, you may."
Tristan smiled. "Then, I should kiss you, shouldn't I? If you don't mind."
"No, I don't, I think." Kathy replied.
Tristan then brushed his lips against her cheek for the shortest of seconds.
"Now, I will draw a heart for you," he proclaimed. He picked up a stick from the bush nearby and carved a heart into the sandy ground at its roots.
Kathy smiled. "You're a nice boyfriend. Though I still think that boys are disgusting."
But before Tristan could reply, a white figure emerged from the darkness. It was the nanny.
"Children, what are you doing out here? You could get hurt! Come back inside at once. Your parents are looking for you," she cried, and shepherded them back into the warmth of the palatial bungalow.
And that was the last Kathy saw of her boyfriend.