I'm Not the Protagonist

The Smile

"Are you ready, Henry?"

He barked in reply, wagging his tail.

"Alright. Go fetch!" I threw his tennis ball and watched as he ran after it, his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth. A few moments later, he was by my side, the ball in his mouth. "Good boy! Good boy!" I praised him, ruffling the fur on the top of his head, and taking the ball.

I took a deep breath of cool, fresh air. I had taken Henry to the park to get him some exercise. Looking around, I took notice of how the leaves on the trees have already changed color, and most of them had already fell. The sky looked a gloomy gray, as there was overcast. I pulled on the sleeves of my sweater as a chilly breeze passed by.

"Okay, Henry, I'd say it's about time to head home," I told him, even though he probably didn't even understand a word I said. He barked though, so maybe he did.

I grabbed the loop on his leash and started to walk back towards the sidewalk, staying on one of the concrete paths that wound around the park. Henry took the lead obediently, as always. As we walked, we passed a family who were by the playground, and a little boy flying a kite. I couldn't help but smile at the way they all looked so happy. I loved to see people having a good time.

When we had almost reached the sidewalk, I saw a girl around my age, sitting on a bench by herself. Her knees were brought to her chest and she hugged them tightly, as if she was scared of something. She must have felt my eyes staring at her, because she looked up and her gaze locked with mine almost instantly. The thing is, when she did, she tensed.

And when I examined her face, I saw tear stains running down her cheeks.

Then I did what my mom always told me to do: I smiled. A real, heartfelt smile. I could just hear her voice in my head, "Whether it's a close friend or a complete stranger, you can brighten someone's day with just one, real smile. That's all it takes."

Slowly and shakily, the corners of the girl's mouth curved upward in a small smile - a reluctant one, but real, nonetheless.

If it was even possible, my own smile grew a little wider, then I continued down the path, onto the sidewalk, and headed home.

Maybe it was in my head, but as the smile stayed on my face, I felt like the air got a few degrees warmer, and the sky a few shades lighter.

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AN: Short, but sweet. Smile at someone today. Maybe you can make their day, just a little bit brighter. :)

Until next Wednesday!