because she needed more time to answer.
I became her defender before I
was old enough to understand what that meant.
Whenever someone mocked her, I stepped between them.
Get Marriage Tips
And usually, standing beside me was Noah Parker.
Noah had been my best friend since kindergarten. He lived three streets away and seemed to spend more time at our house than at his own.
Unlike most children, Noah never acted awkward around Lily.
He didn’t talk to her like she was younger than she was.
He didn’t pretend not to notice her.
He simply treated her like Lily.
Find Hospitals
If she wanted to play basketball, he passed her the ball.
If she took too long choosing an ice cream flavor, he waited.
If someone laughed at her, Noah stared them down until they stopped.