So I was in the big city using one of those big touch screen kiosks (the ones intended to phase out cashiers, but which nevertheless also draw certain misanthropic tendencies).

I walked up to the screen, noticing a young dad with two daughters to my left. They were roundabout late 7/early 8, and maybe 4. The older girl was rambling, moving about entertaining herself. The younger girl was being dealt with by dad.

So I'm in my current space these days, noticing girls but rarely being auto-obsessive except in extreme lovely cases. The older girl was wearing a white hoodie with little red and orange animals on it...her hood is pulled up. A very cute and not such a common look. Still, I held my gaze to the screen.

So I'm aware of dad just a few feet to my left, dealing with younger sis, and in the entire restaraunt I see a middle age fat guy in the far corner reading, and a young transplanted homie who is eating and clearly doesn't give a crap about anything. Nobody else.

As I am selecting my items, I see lil cutie girl in the hoodie swinging around another kiosk. Jaded as I am, I don't think much of it. I am halfway through my item selections when suddenly and without warning, something swings into view from behind my own kiosk. It's literally inches in front of me.

" HI:) "

" Oh...hi:) "

A quick glance reveals long thickly sumptuous golden blonde hair, with big stunning sky-blue eyes locking with my own, sharing a big sweet honest smile that would melt any icy heart. She's a girl clearly raised to see goodness in others instead of potential threat, or perhaps just innately born that way. Whichever the case may be, I look to see there exists in this face not the slightest hint of reservation nor timidness toward a complete stranger much older than herself. A true rarity in these times. I feel a little stunned.

I sense dad, sitting with his back to me a few feet to my left. Is he listening? I take another covert glance at the dining room. Nobody's interested in us.

"Are you putting in your order?"

I try to walk the line in case dad is listening.

"Yes I am," I say it with a slightly entertaining tone.

She smiles and looks at the screen. She briefly even rests her head on my arm like she already knows me well. Unexpectedly, she grips my forearm, looks at me and says with a totally serious tone,

"The Happy Meals are REALLY good."

(At this point a little voice in my head said "No way, is this really happening? Who IS this girl??")

So my heart is fluttering from her squeazing my forearm as I let out a slight giggle from her comment a second later. We've known one another all of 90 seconds, and she's already stolen my heart.

"Oh, yes I've heard the Happy Meals are awesome, but actually I'm looking for hamburgers now."

I find the burger section, and click on a cheeseburger.

"That's a CHEESE burger you just clicked."

I sense the corrective tone in her voice and see the look of concern on her face, trying to help me navigate through my order.

(OMG, what are you doing for the next 30 years, you sassy little heartbreaker?) I said... on the inside.

I pause to think how to reply.

"I knowwww, it has cheese, but I HOPE that's still ok with you." I glance at her with big dramatic eyes for just a split second and then back at the screen.

She smiles at me, sensing my playful submissive tone.
It's honestly how I felt, but delivered in a more obvious way that she might get it. She got it.

We're two minutes into our relationship, and we've already established things some married couples can't seem to estsblish after decades.

Dad suddenly tunes in, turns and apologizes to me. He's pretty young himself, but very mannered and cordial.

"Sorry, I didn't realize she was chatting with you."

He looks mildly embarrassed, but he's smiling anyway. I get the distinct feeling it's not the first time she's randomly chatted up adults who were complete strangers.

It's an adorable trait I feel lucky to encounter not so often, yet admittedly a not-so-likely-to-end-badly possible safety issue as well. It's an exceptionally beautiful trait to have in a sincere world filled with honest loving intentions. There are many jaded and forgotten adults who are not even pedos who would find great joy and warmth from interacting with a special child like this. I wish that sincere loving world was the current world.

"Meh, it's fine. She's very polite."

He seems a bit relieved. I am glad, a bit envious of his life, and sense his natural fatherly skills with loving daughters who are going to be there adoring and caring for him in his final hours one day far in the future. Whomever else they may come to love, I sense that their hearts will always belong to daddy. Because daddy was clearly their first true boyfriend.