Love begins with sweets

“Are you going to eat all of those?”

The boy looked up, tilting the brim of his hat back as he looked at the person interrupting his rest. The little girl smiled, revealing a gap from a missing tooth. The boy blinked, then tossed her the small sack of honey bits.

“Don't eat them all at once.” He advised, tilting his hat back over his eyes.

The girl's smile widened in delight as at the older boy's words. She looked down at the fine lavender dress her aunt had given her, then back at the boy laying on the ground.

The boy tried to ignore the girl as she sat on the grass beside him.

The girl looked at the boy as she pulled one of the honey candies out of the bag. She put the candy in her mouth, savoring the sweetness as she looked up at the sky.

As she watched the clouds, the girl tried to contain her excitement.

Aunt Adrianna isn't going to be happy when she finds out I didn't stay with Brita.

The girl shook her head, looking back at the boy.

The wide-brimmed hat hid his sun-streaked chestnut hair. It also hid his soft brown eyes; the color of which always reminded the girl of toffee candies.

“What are you doing?” She asked, hoping to have the boy smile. For the girl liked making people smile.

“Sleeping.” The boy answered without moving , his voice slightly muffled. The girl tilted her head, confusion touching her green eyes.

“How can you answer if you are sleeping?” She asked, lifting his hat.

The boy blinked, then sat up.

“I hadn't fallen asleep yet. I was just trying to.” He took his hat back from the girl and put it beside him on the grass. The boy ran a hand through his rumpled hair, trying to tidy it. The girl looked at the boy, then started to giggle.

“What are you giggling about?” The boy asked, frowning.

The girl shook head, still giggling. The boy's frown deepened as he crossed his arms.

“What's so funny?”

“A caterpillar!” The girl answered, pointing at the boy's head. The boy lifted a hand back to his hair, then felt something crawl over his finger. Carefully closing his hand over the bug, the boy lifted it from his head.

Opening his hand, both the boy and girl watched as the caterpillar crawled across his palm. The boy looked at the bug, then stood. Leaving his hat behind, the boy began walking. Following behind him, the girl spoke.

“Where are we going?”

“You'll see.” The boy answered, making sure to keep the caterpillar in his hand.

Finally, the boy stopped beside a bush. Kneeling down, he pulled aside a branch to reveal inside the bush. Gently, the boy put the caterpillar inside the bush, then stood and brushed off his hand.

The little girl clapped her hands, a big smile on her face.

“Now the caterpillar won't be stepped on!” She exclaimed, looking up at the boy. He looked down at the girl, then offered a small smile.

“That's right.”

The two children began walking back to where they had begun. After they got there however, a voice reached them.

“Lady Sybil, there you are!” The little girl turned toward the voice, a slight frown appearing on her small face. She looked at the boy, who offered her the bag of sweets. Picking up his hat, the boy nodded to the girl.

“Remember not to eat them all at once, Caterpillar.”

Then he walked away.

The little girl named Sybil watched as her new friend walked away, disappearing into the palace gardens. Even as Brita fussed over the grass stains on the little girl's dress, all the girl could think about was the boy as she clutched the bag of sweets in her hands.