He had been my best friend since we were six.
During playground games, Noah always chose Gracie before anyone else had the chance to groan.
If she missed the ball, he never pretended she had not.
He simply ran beside her.
“Try again,” he would say. “I’ll stay with you.”
The Promise
When we were in fourth grade, Noah made Gracie a promise none of us forgot.
A group of girls had been discussing school dances.
Gracie listened quietly from the edge of the playground.
Then she asked:
“Do you think someone like me gets to go to prom?”
Before I could answer, Noah crouched in front of her.
“When we’re older, I’m taking you.”
Gracie’s entire face lit up.
“You promise?”
“I promise.”
She clapped her hands.
“Amelia, you heard him!”
“I heard.”
I hugged her.
“You’ll always have Noah and me.”
I repeated that sentence throughout our childhood until all three of us believed it.
