The sky brightened, morning had come. I can hear the chirping of the birds. The warm rays of the sun hit my face gently. With difficulty, I rose from my place and stood up. I stepped to the window and began to look around. There wasn't anything else for me to do anyway. Oh, what's this! The girl I had given the ball to before was back. I immediately went over to her. She saw me, but this time there was no disgust on her face like before. Somehow her eyes welled up. Had I done something to upset her? But I hadn't even said a word.

"A-Are you o-okay? Did I do something to upset you?"

"No, you didn't do anything, but your face reminded me of my mom."

"My dad sometimes drinks too much, and my mom's face looks like that, and she's in a lot of pain, she keeps crying all the time. When I see her like that, I cry too, and I gently put my hands on my mom's face and smile, and when I do that, my mom tells me all her pain is gone and that I don't need to cry anymore."

I didn't know what to say, but seeing the girl in front of me crying, my heart ached as if there was a pain in it.

"Please don't cry, I'm perfectly fine and not in pain, don't worry," I said and smiled.

"No, you're lying just like my mom."

As she said these words, her crying had almost stopped. I didn't say anything, just smiled. After a while, her crying had completely stopped. Suddenly, she extended her right arm through the fence towards where I was and held the left side of my face. I flinched and pulled back when she touched my face like that. When I did, she got scared too. Then I approached her again, slowly she put her hand on my left cheek. Her hand was very warm. I could stay like this forever.

"What's your name?"

"M-My n-name is -Taşk -Taşkın. What's your name?"

"My name is Elif."

"Does your name have a meaning, Taşkın?"

"I-I don't know."

"The meaning of my name is graceful."

I didn't know what graceful meant. So, I asked what it meant.

"Graceful means beautiful, it also means pleasing to the eye and admired."

Honestly, I had no idea about the meanings of words. But I wanted to keep looking at Elif. Her hair falling to her shoulders. Looking into my eyes with a smile. I just wanted to look at her. I wonder what her reaction would be if I brought my hand to her face. Would she run away scared? Should I try it? I decided against doing it for now. After a while, she withdrew her hand from my face.

"Taşkın, I have to go now, see you later."

Will we see each other? Does this mean she'll come back to see me again?

"W-Will you come back to me again?"

"Yes, I will," she said with a smile.

I feel strange. I wanted to jump, roll on the floor. What was this strange feeling?