“You’re cute! I like you. Now scoot over for me.”

I did, only because I liked the way she made me feel, and I didn’t want her to leave me alone again. She sat right beside me as close as she could, leaving no room in between us.

“I’m Bailey Button, by the way.”

Her soft skin brushed against my arm, causing new bubbles in my stomach.

What was that?

“I hate my name. It’s so stupid. It sounds like I’m a belly button, but I’m not. I’m a girl, see?” Tugging on her hair that was in pigtails, she blinked her long, big eyelashes at me. “I don’t look like a belly button, right?”

“No.” Was the only word I could say when she sat that close to me.

She nodded, bringing a piece of chicken up to her mouth. Not paying any attention to what she was doing to me.

“I like your name, Aiden Pierce. It’s pretty.”

“Pretty?”

“Yeah, I like pretty names. Not like mine.”

Before I gave it any thought, I blurted, “Your name is beautiful just like you are.”

Her eyes flew to mine, and another huge smile took over her face. “No one has ever called me beautiful, Aiden Pierce!”

I smiled with her.

“Now we’re going to have to get married.”

“What?” I stopped smiling, jerking back. “We do?”

“Mmm hmm…” She chewed on her food, swallowing it down. “That’s what happens when you call a girl beautiful, you have to get married after. I don’t make the rules, I just follow them. Before my momma passed away, she always said to marry a man who calls me beautiful, and I’ll be happy every day of my life.”

Maybe her momma sent her to me too?

“Will you make me happy?”

“Uh… I can try.”

“Try really hard, okay?”

“Okay.” 

Momma would want that, right?

Yeah, she would.

“I like the way Bailey Pierce sounds. What do you think?”

“I like the way Bailey Pierce sounds too, but aren’t we too young to get married?”

“No silly! I meant when we’re older.”

“Oh.” I thought about it for a second. “Like how much older?”

Now it was her turn to think about it for a second. “Like when we’re eighteen. That’s old enough.”

“Okay.”

“Aiden…” She giggled, twirling her hair in a big knot around her finger. “You have to ask me first.”

“Oh, I do?” I scratched my head. “When?”

“When we’re eighteen.”

“Okay.” I nodded, meaning it. “I’ll ask you when we’re eighteen.”

“Okay.” She nodded back. “I’ll try to act surprised too. Ask me in a good way, alright? So I cry.”

She was confusing, but in the best way possible. I’d say anything she wanted just to keep her by my side, so I’d always feel this way.

Safe.

I knew right then and there my momma had something to do with this. I didn’t know how, but she kept her promise to me. This had to be the girl, I felt it in my bones.

“Why would I want to make you cry?”

“Because they’re happy tears and crying with happy tears is like super romantic.”

“Oh… Okay then. I’ll ask you in a way that will make you cry happy tears.”

“Okay good, but don’t make me cry in any other way than happy tears. Ever. You promise?”

“I promise.”

She leaned her head on my shoulder, whispering, “I trust you.”

“You’re cute! I like you. Now scoot over for me.”

I did, only because I liked the way she made me feel, and I didn’t want her to leave me alone again. She sat right beside me as close as she could, leaving no room in between us.

“I’m Bailey Button, by the way.”

Her soft skin brushed against my arm, causing new bubbles in my stomach.

What was that?

“I hate my name. It’s so stupid. It sounds like I’m a belly button, but I’m not. I’m a girl, see?” Tugging on her hair that was in pigtails, she blinked her long, big eyelashes at me. “I don’t look like a belly button, right?”

“No.” Was the only word I could say when she sat that close to me.

She nodded, bringing a piece of chicken up to her mouth. Not paying any attention to what she was doing to me.

“I like your name, Aiden Pierce. It’s pretty.”

“Pretty?”

“Yeah, I like pretty names. Not like mine.”

Before I gave it any thought, I blurted, “Your name is beautiful just like you are.”

Her eyes flew to mine, and another huge smile took over her face. “No one has ever called me beautiful, Aiden Pierce!”

I smiled with her.

“Now we’re going to have to get married.”

“What?” I stopped smiling, jerking back. “We do?”

“Mmm hmm…” She chewed on her food, swallowing it down. “That’s what happens when you call a girl beautiful, you have to get married after. I don’t make the rules, I just follow them. Before my momma passed away, she always said to marry a man who calls me beautiful, and I’ll be happy every day of my life.”

Maybe her momma sent her to me too?

“Will you make me happy?”

“Uh… I can try.”

“Try really hard, okay?”

“Okay.” 

Momma would want that, right?

Yeah, she would.

“I like the way Bailey Pierce sounds. What do you think?”

“I like the way Bailey Pierce sounds too, but aren’t we too young to get married?”

“No silly! I meant when we’re older.”

“Oh.” I thought about it for a second. “Like how much older?”

Now it was her turn to think about it for a second. “Like when we’re eighteen. That’s old enough.”

“Okay.”

“Aiden…” She giggled, twirling her hair in a big knot around her finger. “You have to ask me first.”

“Oh, I do?” I scratched my head. “When?”

“When we’re eighteen.”

“Okay.” I nodded, meaning it. “I’ll ask you when we’re eighteen.”

“Okay.” She nodded back. “I’ll try to act surprised too. Ask me in a good way, alright? So I cry.”

She was confusing, but in the best way possible. I’d say anything she wanted just to keep her by my side, so I’d always feel this way.

Safe.

I knew right then and there my momma had something to do with this. I didn’t know how, but she kept her promise to me. This had to be the girl, I felt it in my bones.

“Why would I want to make you cry?”

“Because they’re happy tears and crying with happy tears is like super romantic.”

“Oh… Okay then. I’ll ask you in a way that will make you cry happy tears.”

“Okay good, but don’t make me cry in any other way than happy tears. Ever. You promise?”

“I promise.”

She leaned her head on my shoulder, whispering, “I trust you.”