The boy and his ribbon

Pushing that stupid thought aside, I murmured, “Tell me what’s eating you, Little Ribbon.”

“Nothing.” She sniffed, staring at the dirt.

“It’s something.”

I hated her being so glum but I also couldn’t help if I didn’t know what her problem was.

I reached out to touch her golden head but she jerked away at the last second, stabbing me as surely and as perfectly as only she could do. Della was the only one who could make sunshine live in my chest then suffocate it with perpetual night, depending on she tolerated me.

I hated when she was mad because nothing felt right. My heart didn’t beat right. My body didn’t behave right. She made me sick and the only medicine was to earn her smiles and hugs again.

“What’s wrong?” My patience thi

She’d always been an open book, so the silent treatment confused me.

It hurt too, but I didn’t feel I had the right to be in pain when she was obviously hurting because of something she refused to discuss.

Dealing with a growing girl was exhausting.

“Della…it’s okay. You don’t have to tell me.” I brought her tiny hand to my mouth and kissed her knuckles. “Let’s just go for a walk—”

“She said she’s going to give you a special birthday treat tonight because sixteen is a big deal and sixteen-year-old boys deserve special treats.” Tears glassed her beautiful eyes as she yanked her hand from mine. “I don’t want her to give you anything. You’re mine. And I forgot to give you something, and now you’re going to get all the things from her and forget all about me!” With an agonizing gasp, she tore off into the trees.

What the—

“Della!” I chased after her, following the crash and crunch of twigs, trying to catch up as she ducked under low branches and weaved around Della-sized bushes. “Come back here.”

She didn’t stop. She didn’t slow.

“Della Ribbon, you get your butt back here this instant!” I leapt over bracken, grateful for years of hard labour and a body good at endurance. She was a speedy little thing, and I had no intention of letting her get away with shutting down this time. “Della!”

Goddammit.

Something crashed to a stop in front of me, sending me skidding on the brakes as I almost ran into her.

She looked up beneath a curtain of blonde curls, her eyes tight and lips thin but tears no longer glittered. I almost wished there were tears because the calm collectedness in her stare terrified me.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t get you a gift.” She let me grab her and wedge her into my stomach. Her thin arms wrapped loosely around my hips as she breathed hard into my lower belly. “I didn’t mean to be a child.”

“You weren’t a child.”

“I forgot. I’m not supposed to say anything about Cassie.”

I peeled her away, staring into her face, but once again, that blank collectedness stared back. “What aren’t you telling me, Della?”

“Nothing.”

“There’s something.”

“Nuh-uh. I’m fine.” She smiled bright and brittle. “See?”

I didn’t buy it, but my brain didn’t work fast enough to figure out what she was hiding.

I fumbled for something to say, some reassurance to utter, some way to bring back the happy kid I loved with all my heart, but I was too slow, and Della’s truth slipped through my fingers.

“Wa

I stared after her, lost.

What had just happened?

Della laughed, already a fair distance away. “Ren! Come on, slow poke!”

Whatever it was wasn’t over, but I didn’t want to taint the rest of our day together.

For now, I let her fake normalcy and bought into her assurances that whatever worried her wasn’t too overpowering that it stopped her from playing.

I’d protect her from everything, but until she told me what hurt her, I had to trust she was okay.

I took off, leaping forward into the trees I adored over any house or barn. “Oh, you’re in so much trouble when I get you!”

Her happy squeal tried to delete the strange, painful moment from before.

But it never quite removed the shadow she’d painted on my heart.

No matter how long we ran like the wild creatures we were.

No matter how much time we spent in the forest that was our true home.

Something had happened between us.

And it would have to be dealt with…sooner or later.