Sophie Ruewen had always been grateful for her life. Then again, when you're ten, you don't really think about life. You just worry about friends and if your mom is going to make those chocolate chip cookies.
Sophie lived with her mom, dad, and sister in a cul-de-sac in a small town in Oregon. Her father, Grady, worked in an animal shelter while her mother, Edaline, was a stay at home mom to care for Sophie and her sixteen-year-old sister, Jolie.
There were a few other kids who lived in the neighborhood, but the closest kid was the one next door, Keefe Sencen. Keefe never liked his parents, so he spent most of his time outside, playing or hiding out in a huge oak tree in the meadow behind the cul-de-sac.
It was a nice, summer day when ten-year-old Sophie ran out back to the meadow. She ran among the flowers, giggling as her golden blonde hair flew behind her.
"SOPHIE!"
Her name called out over the field, and she turned to the oak tree, where the sound came from. She looked up to see Keefe sitting in a branch high above the ground.
"Keefe? What are you doing up there?" Sophie asked as she walked to stand under the branch.
"Enjoying the view! You should come up and see it, Soph. It's spectacular!" he called down to her.
"Keefe, I-I don't think I should. I don't want to fall," Sophie said, craning her neck to look at the boy.
"I'll make sure you don't fall. Please Sophie? It really is incredible."
Sophie sighed and climbed up until she was sitting next to Keefe.
Keefe Sencen had light golden blonde hair and ice blue eyes. His hair was always ruffled up that made him even more handsome. He always wore worn out jeans and white t-shirts. Sophie hung out with him a lot since he lived next door, but sometimes his ideas were a bit.....odd.
"Wow," breathed Sophie.
"Impressive, right?" Keefe asked, scooting closet to her, wrapping an arm around her waist so she wouldn't fall off.
"Definitely. Thank you for convincing me to come up here."
The view was the meadow, but it was the meadow with the horizon, which was lined by trees. Sophie never knew that the meadow went that far. Then again, her mom never let her go any father than the oak tree. Ten-year-olds tend to like to run away.
"How often do you come up here?" she asked Keefe.
"Every sunrise and sunset. And if I need to get away from my parents, then I'll come up here," he responded, gripping onto her waist even tighter.
"Well, maybe I need to start coming up here more often."
Sophie looked at the boy and smiled. He smiled back at her, but they weren't giving eachother goofy grins, it was soft smiles.
Sophie laughed a bit and looked down. She'd always thought if Keefe as more of a friend, but she never thought about it. Just a silly crush, which ever ten-year-old has once in a while. But sitting here in the tree with him, his arm wrapped around her, holding her steady, it felt right.
"Hey, Soph?" he asked.
"Hmm?" she responded, lifting her head back up to look at him.
"I, uhm, wanted to take the opportunity, since we're up here, to tell you, that you've always been a bit more than a friend. I've liked you since kindergarten, and being up here really shows how beautiful you are."
Sophie smiled and blushed. No boy had ever called her beautiful or even admitted to having feelings for her.
"I feel the same way, Keefe."
"You do?"
"Yeah. Wanna stay and watch the sunset?" she asked.
Keefe nodded and the two younglings stayed in that tree, talking, until the sun dipped behind the horizon.
The sky was streaked with red, orange, and pink. Sophie's head laid on Keefe's shoulder, and once the moon started to rise, they both climbed down, said their good nights, and went home.
Edaline was waiting in the kitchen, hand on her hip.
"Sophie? What were you and Keefe doing up in that tree?" she asked.
"Just...talking."
Edaline smiled and pushed back a bit of her copper red hair. "Well, let's get you to bed. We're seeing cousin Dex and the triples tomorrow!"
