At the park, Aliah bounces the ball all alone. Boing, boing, boing. The swing creaks, the birds sing — but somehow, something feels missing. Playing alone is a little bit quiet.
Oh! A boy is sitting on the bench — and he is all alone too. He hugs his knees and stares down at the grass. Hmm... maybe he'd like a friend as well?
Aliah wants to go say hi, but those feet feel glued to the grass, and no words come out. So Aliah peeks out from behind the big tree. One step forward... two steps back.
Oops! The ball gets away — bumpety-bump — and rolls right up to the boy's feet. He looks at the ball. He looks up. Two surprised faces go "Oh!" at the very same time.
The boy picks up the ball and holds it out. "Here," he whispers, with a small brave smile. Aliah smiles back, big and bright: "Let's play together!"
"Your turn to fly!" Aliah gives the swing a big push. Whoosh! The swing soars up high — and the laughing soars even higher, all the way to the clouds.
Tired from playing, the two sit down for a rest. Aliah snaps a cracker in two: "Half for you, half for me." Crunch, crunch. Even the little sparrows hop closer to listen.
The climbing frame turns into a great sailing ship! "Treasure island ahead!" Two little captains set sail across a sea of green grass. The clouds puff up like big white sails.
The sky turns rosy — time to go home. "Same time tomorrow, pinky promise!" Two little fingers hook together, tight and sure. A promise between friends is a warm thing to carry home.
The very next morning, the moment Aliah reaches the park — "Aliah! Over here!" — the new friend comes running through the sparkly dew, waving with both arms. The best mornings start just like this!
