skipping rocks

A gentle smile graced Harper's lips as she looked at Ciara, admiring the girl's resilient spirit. It appeared that Ciara refused to let life's challenges keep her down for long. "I'm truly glad to see you're doing better," Harper murmured softly, her words filled with sincerity. "And it's wonderful that you had such a strong support system to help you through it all."

As they strolled along, Harper couldn't help but reflect on her own relationships, particularly with her brothers. She wondered if they would stand by her side with unwavering support if she were to face a situation like Ciara had. But deep down, she knew that their closeness had faded over time, as if lost in the distance between their individual journeys. Disheartened, Harper absentmindedly kicked at the pebbles scattered beneath her feet.

"You mentioned your friend's name is Hayden?" Harper's voice perked up, attempting to shift the focus away from her thoughts. Curiosity flickered in her eyes as she asked, "What's he like? Tell me more about him."

She nodded her head. "Well yeah it was great. Well my parents lost already one daughter because of it. They didn't want to lose other. Same with my siblings," she said with a sad face. She barely remembers her sister. She was quite young at the time.

Her life has never been full of happiness, there has been so much sadness in it for sure but she has gotten by. She is quite close with her siblings yes. Anyways she was glad them to be there for her.

"Oh yes, he is my fellow hufflepuff. He is sixth year. Someone who became my friend at the very first day here at school. We somehow clicked. When I got sick last year, he was only friend who tried to be there for me. Others didn't really care. Always made sure to sent me these lovely letters. Mostly talked how school went and so on. We have always been best friends. It's very platonic between us. Never been romantic between us. We have proven that there can be friendship between boy and girl," she said with a smile. He loved Hayden as a brother, nothing more. "He is like another brother to me. Someone I can always count on. Someone who cares about my well being. So do I," she added.

Ciara, despite being just fifteen, had endured far more challenges than Harper. The dark-haired girl held a deep admiration for Ciara's ability to maintain a positive outlook despite her hardships. A smile formed on her lips as she listened to Ciara speak about her friend. "Having a friend like that must be truly wonderful," she remarked, a touch of longing evident in her voice.

Ciara nodded her head. To be honest Hayden was the best friend she could even have wanted. He was really someone who she could count on no matter what. Her life had never been easy for sure. "Yeah it has been. You don't have any friends like that?" She had to ask. She just wished everyone had such incredible friends in their lives.

As they continued their journey towards the gamekeepers' hut, Harper's steps took on a deliberate leisure, subtly elongating the time they had together. She relished the opportunity to converse with Ciara, savoring each moment as they strolled side by side. The connection between them was growing, and Harper found herself genuinely enjoying the experience of getting to know Ciara on a deeper level.

A soft smile played upon Harper's lips as she responded, her voice tinged with a hint of wistfulness. "I come from a family of four brothers," she admitted, shrugging her shoulders. "Back home, it often feels like people only see me as just another one of them. It's easy to blend into the background when you're surrounded by a boisterous bunch."

There was a touch of vulnerability in Harper's words, a desire to be seen as an individual beyond the confines of her family dynamic. With each step, the bond between Harper and Ciara grew stronger, and in that shared moment, Harper felt a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, she could be understood for the unique person she truly was.