If that's what it takes

2

There were severe storms wracking the east coast and planes were not moving anywhere. The little girl continued to sit, staring at her shoes, the sparkles dulled by the shadow of other travelers who were crowding around waiting for their flights. Her tears had stopped, though her eyes never wavered from the pink sparkly shoes. Several people had come and gone, sitting beside her talking to her as she continued to hum, blocking out their attempts at conversation, her pink shoes the focus of her mind.

The flight attendant kept a close watch on the little girl, watching curiously as the little girl ignored person after person who sat beside her, gripping her doll tightly in her arms as she refused to talk to anyone. Her eyes were focused, her brow furrowed as she tried to remain brave. She walked to the front of the little girl, crouching down to try to get her attention. "Zoey?" She said softly, knowing the little girl's name from her boarding pass and special boarding instructions. "Zoey, are you alright? Are you hungry?" She asked, watching as the little girl refused to look up at her, her focus remaining strong on her toes. "Zoey, it's alright to talk to me... I'm not a stranger. I'm your friend."

The little girl's eyes remained on her toes. The soft curls in her hair bobbed slightly as she kicked her feet back and forth again, her eyes remaining on her shoes. "Sweetheart, are you hungry?" She asked again, watching as the little girl shook her head, her eyes never leaving her shoes. "If you're hungry... will you tell me?" The flight attendant asked, watching as the little girl shook her head again, her humming becoming a little louder as her bottom lip stuck out. Her face was turning red slowly as tears began to flow down her cheeks. "Do you want me to leave you here and go back to work?" She asked, watching as the girl nodded quickly, her eyes still on her shoes. "I'll be right there, okay?" She whispered as she calmed down as the flight attendant backed off.

Zoey continued to sit her seat, as the flight attendant moved away from her, her kicking legs slowly stopped as she watched the shadow of someone much taller than her sit down beside her. The man made a grunting sound as he settled in his chair, a bit of agitation in his voice as he flipped his phone open and dialed a number, listening carefully for someone to pick up, he sighed as he flipped the phone closed and shoved it in his pocket. His eyes passed to the little girl in the pink sweater sitting on the chair beside him. She wore blue jeans and her shoes were pink and sparkly. Her hair was long and blonde, cascading down her tiny shoulders with bits of curl here and there, hanging from the tiny butterfly barrette in her hair. She looked to be about six or seven years old, and she appeared to be concentrating very hard on her toes. Her eyes were determined, though he could see a bit of fear laced within her expression, and her knuckles were nearly white as she gripped the seat of the chair, sensing that he was watching her.

"Hey..." He said softly, watching as her feet began to kick a little harder, her eyes still focused on her feet as more and more travelers crowded around them, he reached forward and pulled his carryon bag a little closer. "Hey, is anyone sitting here?" He asked, noting that she was not with an adult, but sitting very much on her own, as still as could be except for her swinging feet, which seemed to be moving faster. His eyes went to hers as he noticed the intense stare she had on her feet. "Those are some nice shoes you have there." He said, watching as she kicked harder, her eyes staring more intensely than ever. "Sparkly..." He pointed out as he nodded as she began to breath deeply, trying not to cry as she listened to the man's low, soft voice as he spoke to her. "Yep..." He said as he settled back in his chair and looked to the ceiling. "I have a pair just like them..." He said, wondering if she'd understand his joke. He listened carefully and noted that the sound of the little pounding feet had stopped suddenly. They had stopped and among all of the loud cell phone conversations and frustrated customers. Among the screaming babies and screeching children, and yelling parents right behind them, all he heard was silence.

Slowly, he turned his head in the direction of the little girl's chair, only to find a pair of grey-blue eyes staring back at him. He was only being friendly, noticing that she seemed so lost and alone in the big, loud airport, her tiny frame seemingly lost in the chair that she was sitting in. Her eyes held a deep, sorrowful sadness. Her tiny pink lips were slightly parted as she looked into the sad blue eyes of the stranger sitting beside her. She watched him with a strange curiosity, unsure of exactly what to do, what to say, how to react.

She had been sitting in that chair for a very long time, and all anyone ever asked her was if she was alright. They always asked her if she needed anything, wanted anything. They noted the sad, sullen look on her face, in her eyes, in her expression and assumed that she was in need of cheering up. The man sitting beside her now, however had caught her off guard. He didn't ask her how she was feeling, if she needed anything or if she was lost. He didn't offer to help her or do something for her. He was simply making conversation. Her eyes had remained on his for a moment as his eyes showed a bit of amusement in his words, making her feel slightly warmer as her eyes slid down his long frame to his feet. He was currently wearing a pair of black dress shoes, nothing fancy as her eyes passed back up to his eyes. "Oh... you thought I was wearing them today? Oh, I only wear them for special occasions..." He nodded. "You know... tea parties, dance recitals, and stuff like that." He nodded, listening carefully as he thought that he heard a slight giggle emitted from the little girl's throat. Her eyes narrowed lightly as her lips pursed and she tried so hard to hold it back, but she couldn't help it as the corner of her lips rolled upwards, a gentle smile on her lips as she giggled. "See... this was all a ploy for me to see if you had teeth." He nodded as she giggled a little more. "Yep... you've got teeth..." He said as he turned his head and leaned back in his chair as he listened carefully to her giggle, as he listened to her feet kicking a bit lighter as she giggled and watched her toes once again as the man beside her settled into his seat for his long wait for the airplane.