ONE BOY TOLD ETHAN NOBODY WOULD EVER MARRY HIM
Our teacher announced she was getting married.
Every child immediately became a wedding expert.
Chocolate cake.
Flowers.
Music.
One kid insisted weddings required trampolines.
Ethan raised his hand.
“My wedding is having chocolate cake.”
Our teacher smiled.
“Good choice.”
“And no slow songs.”
“Why?”
“Boring.”
A boy sitting across from us laughed.
“You’re not getting married.”
Ethan looked confused.
“Yes, I am.”
“To who?”
“I don’t know yet.”
The boy laughed again.
“Nobody’s going to marry you.”
I remember Ethan’s smile disappearing.
I hated that.
“That’s mean.”
The boy looked at me.
“What?”
“Somebody will love Ethan.”
He grinned.
“Then you marry him.”
The entire table started giggling.
Later, Ethan found me after class.
He looked unusually serious.
“Sophie?”
“What?”
“Would you love me?”
I was six.
That felt like an extremely complicated question.
“Maybe.”
His whole face brightened.
“Really?”
“Maybe.”
Then I remembered something my older cousin had told me.
“But first we have to go to prom.”
Ethan frowned.
“What’s prom?”
“A dance.”
“We already have dances.”
“No. Prom is when you’re almost a grown-up.”
“Oh.”
Then he held out his pinkie.
“Promise?”
I hooked mine around his.
“Promise.”
I forgot about it before dinner.
Ethan didn’t.
