There's a nice stairwell which runs through the center of my workplace.

As I was headed up, I saw a child headed down, approximately 8 or 9, wearing a red sweater with bobbed brown hair. I was pretty sure it was a girl, but it might've been a very pretty boy.

She looked like a cross between Zazie ⚠️ ↗ in her red sweater and Ludovic ⚠️ ↗ with his slightly longer hair. ( Can you tell that I watch too many Francophone movies?) Anyhow I gave her a sidelong glance in passing.

Now, uncharacteristically for me I got a bit paranoid. What if he ( I hadn't made up my mind yet.) told his father about the man who gazed at him?

But no sooner had I got up to assist the cashiers when she walked up and said, "Hello." ( Seeing her smile confirmed her girlishness to me.) Unfortunately there were other people to help ahead of her. And some undoubtedly less appreciative cashier got to ring-up her family.

But her jump in line to say,"Hello" in confirmation of our moment on the stare stairwell, had me floating on air for then next hour.

Dante