Let's Hear it For the Boy

Let me tell you about a fine young man.
A fifteen year old boy who makes the most important person in my life happy.

He is my daughters boyfriend.

(not using his real name)

They decided in 6th grade that they had a mutual "crush" on eachother. This was determined through friends at an after school activity near the end of the school year. From the report I got, it went something like this.

"Does Katie like Jack, go ask her"

"Tell Jack that Katie wants to know if he likes her first"

"Jack has a crush on Katie, tell her that he said"

"Katie likes Jack too, tell him she has a crush on him too"

"Hi Katie"

"Hi Jack"

" Will you be my girlfriend?"

"Yes!"

He called a couple times, asking for my daughter in his squeeky almost feminine 12 year old voice. They ate lunch together, and he told off anyone who dared to tease his girl.

Sadly, at the end of the school year he moved away.
And he didn't call again.

Most little girls would mope around, not my Katie.
She still liked Jack, just just didn't act heartbroken, she was sure he'd call again, and she had endless patience.
She played SIMS alot that summer, and all the families had a Mom named Katie Collins, and a Dad named Jack Collins, and two little blond haired Collins children.

"What if he doesn't call, Kate? What if you don't see him again? You know there will be other boys, right?"

" No other boys, I like Jack."

" But Honey, he moved away, and you don't know his number, and he hasn't called"

" Maybe he'll move back and I'll see him at High School"

She didn't know what I knew, that sometimes boys don't come back.

Seventh grade started , and she didn't see him at Middle School. Seemed Jack hadn't moved back yet, or found her phone number, like she was sure he would.
She didn't dwell on it, but he was still the only boy she liked.

One day about 3 weeks into the start of school, I was serving lunch, across town at the other middle school. I was telling the kids that they had to have their ID badges visable to be in that line.

" You should wear them around your neck, on a lanyard like this boy has." (I lean in to read the name on the ID) " Like Jack Collins ."
!!!

And there he was, my daughter's boy, right in front of me.
A little boy, a head shorter than my girl, with an elfish sweet face, sprinkled with freckles across his nose and pale red hair hanging in his eyes. My Katie's Jack!

" Jack Collins?"

"Yes Ma'am?"

" Do you know Katie R?"

Big Smile! " Yeah! Does she go here?"

"No, she goes to the other school. I'm her Mom"

" Really! I lost her phone number, can I get it from you so I can call her?"

" Yes, I'll give you her number."

They are now in 9th grade, and finally at the same school again.
Jack is now about 3 inches taller than Katie, skinny as a pole, with a buzzcut instead of the shaggy hippy hair he wore 2 years ago. He is in ROTC, and can usually be found carrying a book with him. His voice has deepened some, the freckles are still there. His favorite band is called Disturbed , while Katie likes to listen to Hannah Montana, and High School Musical.

His is her biggest supporter, he protects her when he can from the bullies, and when she told him she was going to be screened for Aspergers, he said , " As long as you don't change, I love you just as you are."

He holds her hand and lightly kisses her cheek or the side of her head. I asked her why they haven't kissed yet, she said he is waiting for the perfect romantic time for their first kiss. (She asked him) . He isn't too fast for her, and he is the boy she has always liked.

They've hung out at the house some, and been to school dances a time or two, they eat lunch together, but today was what they called their "first date".
They went to the movies, and I just picked them up. They are watching anime clips on YouTube, and laughing at the kitchen table.

Katie is socially awkward at times, and less mature than her peers, the doctor thinks she may have a mild case of Aspergers, we'll be having more testing done.
She's quirky, and Jack says he loves her just the way she is.

God bless that kid.