Outside the playground, a boy of about ten or eleven stood beside his bicycle, a small backpack slung over his shoulders.
He lingered near the gate, glancing up the road every few moments, as if expecting someone to arrive.
He looked inside the playground, scanning the space.
Sebastian smiled faintly and wheeled his bicycle in, heading toward the bench. "This boy is again going to be late…" he murmured under his breath as he parked the cycle nearby and took a seat.
But as soon as he did, his attention drifted. His eyes settled on a little girl on the swings, moving back and forth in a quiet rhythm.
She soared high into the air, back and forth, her laughter carried on the breeze.
Her pigtails flew behind her, catching the sunlight with every rise.
Small hands clutched the chains tightly as she leaned into the motion, fearless and free.
Something in the playground had caught his eye.
Sebastian straightened slowly..
The little girl, sensing someone approaching, instinctively stepped behind an older woman—perhaps her grandmother—seeking the quiet safety of her presence.
Sebastian slowed, then crouched down, his eyes falling on something half-hidden in the dust. He reached out and picked up a small chain bracelet, brushing it clean before holding it out gently.
"Here…" he said softly. "I think this is yours."
He remained there for a moment, almost rooted in place, a quiet smile softening his face as he looked at her.
The little girl tilted her head slightly, her pigtails catching the light as they swayed.
From behind her grandmother, she peeked out, her small fingers clutching the fabric of her dress. Slowly, her wide, curious eyes met Sebastian's—shy, uncertain, yet quietly drawn to him.
Stepping out from behind her grandmother, she looked at his hand and realized the bracelet was hers—she hadn't even noticed when it slipped off.
"Thank you…" she said softly, reaching out to take the bracelet from his hand.
"You're welcome. By the way, I'm Sebastian. Nice to meet you." he replied, his smile warm and easy.
"I'm Theodora."
She looked straight into his eyes, her fingers curling around the bracelet.
For a moment, she hesitated, as if gathering the courage to say something more, her lips parting slightly before she spoke…
"W-w-will y-you b-be my f-friend then?" she stammered, her voice soft and trembling with hope.
She took a small step closer, clutching the bracelet tightly in her hand, her eyes fixed on him as she waited.
There was something earnest in the way she stood there—'hopeful, a little nervous, but determined to hear his answer'.
Sebastian looked at her for a moment, his expression thoughtful.
"Hmm."
He tilted his head slightly, as if considering something important, then his lips curved into a gentle smile.
"Yeah… I think I'd like that.." he said.
Theodora squealed with delight, bouncing up and down.
"Grandma, look! I made a new friend!"Her grandmother's eyes twinkled as she glanced at her granddaughter,"Yes,my dear..."
From then on, Sebastian and Thea—though he quickly began calling her Thea just like her grandma—became the closest of friends.
The more time Sebastian spent with her, the more he began to understand the quiet depth of her past.
Bereft of her parents from an early age, she had grown up wrapped in her grandmother's boundless love and unwavering devotion.
In many ways, she was lucky—deeply, undeniably lucky—to have someone who cared for her so completely, who became her whole world when she had lost so much.
Despite being four years apart in age, Sebastian and Theodora both understood each other remarkably well..
Over the years, countless moments strengthened their friendship.
One of those moments came when Theodora returned home from school with tears in her eyes..
She tried her best to hide them, offering her grandmother a small smile before disappearing into her room.
A little later, while putting away Theodora's schoolbag, she noticed a drawing sticking out from one of the folders.
She pulled it free.
It was a family portrait.
Drawn in bright crayons, it showed a younger Theodora standing between her parents, all three smiling beneath a warm summer sun.
The picture itself was beautiful.
What caught her grandmother's attention were the faint tear stains scattered across the page.
Her heart ached.
She understood immediately.
Earlier that day, the students had been asked to draw their families.
For most children, it had been a simple assignment.
For Theodora, it had reopened a wound that never truly healed.
When her grandmother went to check on her, she found her room empty.
The front gate stood slightly ajar.
A knowing smile touched her lips.
There was only one place her granddaughter would go when she needed to be alone.
Reaching for the telephone, she dialed a familiar number.
"Hello, Sebastian?"
"Grandma?" Sebastian replied, recognizing her voice immediately.
"Thea had a difficult day today. Would you mind keeping her company for a little while?"
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line.
Sebastian didn't need to ask many questions.
He glanced toward the window.
"I understand."
"I checked her room a few minutes ago, but she'd already slipped out."
A faint smile touched Sebastian's lips.
"Then she's probably at the playground."
"That's what I thought too."
He was already reaching for his bicycle.
"Don't worry, Grandma. I'll find her."
"Thank you, dear."
"Anytime."
Twenty minutes later, a bicycle rolled to a stop beside the playground fence.
Sebastian hopped off, carrying two ice creams.
"Vanilla," he said, holding one out.
Theodora blinked. "How did you know I was here?"
He shrugged.
"You always come here when you're upset."
"I miss them today." she admitted quietly.
Sebastian sat beside her without saying anything for a moment.
Then he held out the ice cream again.
"Your dad would probably be disappointed if you let vanilla melt."
A surprised laugh escaped her.
"And how would you know that?"
"Because I'd be disappointed."
Despite herself, she smiled and took the ice cream.
Somehow, things felt a little lighter.
From the very beginning, Sebastian's mother treated Theodora like one of her own, welcoming her into the family with warmth and affection.
The Thompsons had transformed their global enterprise into a vast and enduring family fortune.
With the Thompsons fortune resting in his future, Sebastian's parents focused every effort on preparing him for the responsibilities that would one day be his.
Through every joy and every heartbreak, Sebastian remained a constant in her life.
No matter how difficult the day had been, she knew he would be there.
And in a world that had taken so much from her at such a young age, that certainty meant everything.
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This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, companies, locations, events, and incidents portrayed in this book are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events, businesses, organizations, or locales is entirely coincidental.