Status: completed
Alphabetically Charming
i know my alphabet
Clack, clack, clack, went the plastic letters on the whiteboard.
"A, B, C, D," Jared began to sing in his high pitched five year old voice. "I know my alphabet, Celine. Look!"
He spread his hands wide at the masterpiece of carefully placed letters. Lopsided, but in order, the letters gleamed at me from their places on the board.
Jared shuffled his feet, his face slightly flushed. I knew him well enough to recognize that he was nervous or self-conscious.
"Hey Celine, could ya turn around for a sec? And close your eyes too?"
I grinned. Cute little kid. "Sure thing Jarry."
I swiveled around in my seat and covered my eyes with my hands dutifully.
Clack, clack, clack.
“Are you done yet? Can I turn around?” I sang to him, still smiling.
Jared made a little grunting noise and patted my shoulder as confirmation to my question.
I turned back around and stared at the whiteboard. All the letters in the alphabet were correctly placed in a line. Two letters were missing.
“Jarry, I think you’re missing two letters,” I pointed out, using my softest voice so that it he wouldn’t think I was reprimanding him.
He huffed, a noise of impatience. “I know that!”
Then he flashed his toothy smile at me. Digging his right hand into his jeans pocket, he pulled out the two runaway letters. He held them in front of my face for a second before addressing the whiteboard.
“If I could rearrange the alphabet,” he murmured, placing the letters down slowly. “I would put 'U' and 'I' together.”
Jared kept his back to me. But I could tell by his reddening ears that he was sincere.
I blinked in surprise. Didn’t see that one coming, I thought.
“Jared . . .” I started, reaching for his shoulder, which my hand nearly consumed.
“You don’t have to say anything,” he muttered, voice coated with anticipation.
He was waiting for an answer, and I was going to give it to him.
I hopped off my chair and bent to his level. He stared at the floor, face beet red.
“That’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me, Jared.”
He glanced up at my response as I kissed him lightly on the mouth. His lips were half the size of mine I noticed as I pulled away.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
Jared gave me a sheepish smile. He patted my cheek, ducked under my arm, and rushed outside.
“Guys! Guys! I did it! Ha! You owe me five bucks!” Jared screeched at the top of his lungs, waving his tiny arms above his head.
I shook my head. The innocence of children never ceases to amaze me.
"A, B, C, D," Jared began to sing in his high pitched five year old voice. "I know my alphabet, Celine. Look!"
He spread his hands wide at the masterpiece of carefully placed letters. Lopsided, but in order, the letters gleamed at me from their places on the board.
Jared shuffled his feet, his face slightly flushed. I knew him well enough to recognize that he was nervous or self-conscious.
"Hey Celine, could ya turn around for a sec? And close your eyes too?"
I grinned. Cute little kid. "Sure thing Jarry."
I swiveled around in my seat and covered my eyes with my hands dutifully.
Clack, clack, clack.
“Are you done yet? Can I turn around?” I sang to him, still smiling.
Jared made a little grunting noise and patted my shoulder as confirmation to my question.
I turned back around and stared at the whiteboard. All the letters in the alphabet were correctly placed in a line. Two letters were missing.
“Jarry, I think you’re missing two letters,” I pointed out, using my softest voice so that it he wouldn’t think I was reprimanding him.
He huffed, a noise of impatience. “I know that!”
Then he flashed his toothy smile at me. Digging his right hand into his jeans pocket, he pulled out the two runaway letters. He held them in front of my face for a second before addressing the whiteboard.
“If I could rearrange the alphabet,” he murmured, placing the letters down slowly. “I would put 'U' and 'I' together.”
Jared kept his back to me. But I could tell by his reddening ears that he was sincere.
I blinked in surprise. Didn’t see that one coming, I thought.
“Jared . . .” I started, reaching for his shoulder, which my hand nearly consumed.
“You don’t have to say anything,” he muttered, voice coated with anticipation.
He was waiting for an answer, and I was going to give it to him.
I hopped off my chair and bent to his level. He stared at the floor, face beet red.
“That’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me, Jared.”
He glanced up at my response as I kissed him lightly on the mouth. His lips were half the size of mine I noticed as I pulled away.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
Jared gave me a sheepish smile. He patted my cheek, ducked under my arm, and rushed outside.
“Guys! Guys! I did it! Ha! You owe me five bucks!” Jared screeched at the top of his lungs, waving his tiny arms above his head.
I shook my head. The innocence of children never ceases to amaze me.