Chapter One: The Boy With The Iron Man Action Figure.

 "Daddy, push me higher!" a six year old Satine Larson cried out of joy as her father, John Larson, pushed her on the neighborhood swings. 

"Satine, if you go any higher, you'll touch the sun!"

"I don't care Daddy, higher, higher!"

John Larson chuckled and pushed his daughter as high as she could go, the little girl laughed and screamed words of happiness. Satine stuck out her feet, and let them drag against the mixture of sand and small pebbles. She came to a stop and looked up at her Dad, smiling. He took her by the hand and they sat at a nearby bench. Satine grew quiet, and her father knew she was thinking about something, but what could it be? Satine was a very imaginitive child, everything she said was completely far fetched and randon. Finally, she spoke:

"Daddy, what does it mean to be in love?"  

This question took John Larson by surprise, he looked at her thoughtfully and said

"Love is the feeling you get when you're playing on the swings, Satine. When you feel so high, so infinite. When all you can see is the sun's light radiating down on you, and all you can feel is the sun's warmth bathing on your cheeks." 

Satine pondered her father's statment for a moment, he knew this by the way she twisted her lips to the side. 

"How do you know when you're in love though?"

John Larson laughed and said
"Little rabbit, why do you want to know about love all of a sudden?"

"I don't really know...maybe because I hear you and Mama talk about loving each other all the time." she said looking down at her feet. John lifted Satine's faced and kissed her forehead. 

"We do love each other Satine, and someday, you will find someone that makes your heart soar to cloud nine.." 

Satine smiled at the promise of her Father's words.

"I'm gonna go play play more, kay Dad?" She said getting up.

"Alright, but we're leaving soon!" 

Satine ran towards the sandbox, the park was completely empty except for a mother sitting on a nearby bench reading a magazine and one boy playing alone in the sandbox. As Satine approached him, she noticed he wasn't even playing in the sand. He was playing with a toy, it looked like Iron Man. She stepped into the sandbox, and he looked up noticing her presence.

"Hi! I'm Satine." She said happily sitting beside him. Satine smoothed her yellow sundress and started playing with the sand.  He stopped playing with the action figure and looked at her. She studied him for a moment, he had skin the color of the surface she was sitting on  and deep brown hair. But what Satine noticed most, was his eyes. They were deep brown and framed with thick dark lashes. It wasn't the color that she noticed, it was the way he used them. When he looked at her, he wasn't just looking at her face or her hair, he was looking at all of her. Her heart, her mind, her soul. Finally, after what felt like an eternity. He spoke:

"Hi Satine, I'm Alec...and this is Iron Man!" He said smiling as he picked up his toy. Satine giggled, "Hi Alec...how old are you?"

"I'm six and a half, but I'm gonna turn seven in march! How about you?"

"I'm six too, but I don't turn seven until May. Do you come here a lot?"

"No, only when my Mom and my Dad fight.." Alec said growing quiet.

Satine looked at him noticing his silence, "I like your toy." Alec lookd at her too,

"I like your dress." Satine smiled and the two contiuned to talk and play until the sun disappeared behind the trees and the sky turned into a pink and orange mixture.

"Satine! Let's go honey!" John called from the bench, Satine dissapointedly got up. 

"My dad wants to leave." She said to Alec. He stood up for the first time and Satine noticed how tall he was for his age.

"I hope I see you again.." he said to her. Satine smiled and said

"I hope I see you again, too. Let's play on the swings next time though. They're my favorite!"

"Bye, Satine."

"Bye, Alec." Satine said smiling, she walked off towards her Dad. When she approached him she was met by his embrace as he scooped her up into her arms.

"Did you have a good day Little Rabbit?" He said as they walked to their beat up suburban.

"I made a new friend, his name is Alec." 

"I'm glad, sounds like you had a fun day!" John said. As her father placed her into the car, Satine couldn't help but think about Alec. She felt the car start rolling and she said to herself, "Is this what Daddy was talking about? Is this love?"