Poppy/H.S

Chapter 2

"Valentine, look! I can slide down all by myself now!" a cheerful voice of a sweet little girl brings me back to reality, looking up from my book to be met with her magical hazel eyes. Her eyes shine with joy as she slides down the colourful slide, which has caused so many troubles to her, all by herself. Not only has the little girl overcome her fear, she has also made me feel so proud.

The progress she has made in the last hour is incredible. At first, she was a little hesitant to go up to the deck of the slide, asking for my hand again. I felt so touched when I realised how much trust has this little angel put into my hand. She has filled my uneventful evening with smiles, hugs and affections that only a child can give you. I never thought that the little lady, who was afraid of heights, would make my day visibly better.

"Wow, good job! I'm so proud of you, Poppy. It takes a lot courage to stand up to your fears. Sometimes it can take years, decades even for people to feel brave enough to face their fears. Feeling scared is a very funny thing, bug. It makes you do the things you never thought you could do. Are you proud of yourself for sliding down?" I ask her, wondering if she's aware of the big step she has made.

I hear her Chelsea boots shuffle on the gravel, sprinting to me. "Careful, Poppy! You don't want to trip over something," my instincts send the words to my mouth before I can further think about it.

"Yup, I'm even prouder! I'm super proud!" she exclaims cheerfully when she reaches her final destination in my arms.

I wrap my arms around hers, bringing her closer to my chest and swaying back and forth in the wind. "I'm sorry I ran. I didn't mean it; I was just so excited. The excitement flew into my boots and made me run faster," she admits shyly, looking down to avoid my eyes.

"You don't have to apologise to me, Pops. It's okay, you just need to be more aware of your surroundings. I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself. You know, when you're out with a grownup, it's their job to look after you and make sure nothing happens to you," I explain and bring my hand to her chocolate hair, running my fingers through it.

"So, you're like my guardian angel when you're with me?" she finally looks up to meet my eyes.

"Something like that, bug," I tell her, the corners of my mouth twitching, fighting a smile. I love the way kids think. It's so innocent and pure. The human mind is usually a very scary place, they say. It's so interesting how the way you think changes with age. "Do you want to play some more, Poppy?"

"No, not really," she informs me while nuzzling her head into the crook of my neck.

"Come sit here next to me on the bench, I think you'll like it. It has a nice view, you can see the whole playground," I suggest while unwrapping my arms around her, patting the place next to me.

I shove the book I've been reading to my bag when she hops on the wooden bench, sitting the closest to me as humanly possible. I put my arm around her shoulders, looking at the playground.

"My tummy feels funny," she admits, putting a stray of her messy hair behind her ear. I can't help but smile when I see the shiny pearl earrings she's wearing. 

"Do you think your tummy is tryna let you know it's hungry? Or does it feel more funny than usual? Do you have a stomach-ache, Poppy?" I ask her to explain how she feels in a more specific way, silently praying she doesn't have some kind of a stomach bug.

I don't think they would let me take her to the hospital when I'm neither related to her nor I am her babysitter.

"I think I'm hungry. Chiara and I had lunch at McDonald's, though. I had chicken nuggets, they're my favourite. Do you like them too, Valentine?" she wonders while swaying her short legs in the air, since she's so short to reach the ground and rest her feet there. I nod at her curious question.