The Childhood Promise
The Childhood Promise The Childhood Promise Ava and Liam met in Mrs. Carter’s second-grade classroom. She was the quiet girl who loved to draw horses; he was the boy who always had mud on his shoes and a crooked smile. One rainy recess, while the other kids played tag, Ava shared her crayons with Liam under the slide. That was the beginning. They grew up as best friends, trading lunch snacks, defending each other on the playground, and sharing dreams under the big oak tree behind the school. At age eight, with solemn expressions and ring pops on their fingers, they made a pact: “One day, when we’re big, let’s get married.” They even wrote their promises in wobbly handwriting on lined notebook paper, sealed with a heart and two smiley faces. But life, as it often does, had its own plans. After high school, Ava moved to New York to study art, and Liam joined his father’s construction company in their hometown. They lost touch, the way childhood friends sometimes do—quietly, a...