Me and my friends original plan was to go to the farmers market and get out mom food for dinner. But on the way we saw Ms. Sally. She had been struggling with some bags and her cane. We decided to help, of course.

All the way back to her home, as we carried some of her bags, I eyed her red scarflette, tempted to ask but keeping quiet. I saw my friend looking too, but she stayed quiet as well.

When we entered her home, it was all calm and cluttered as I remember back when she used to babysit me and my friends. There was soft light breaching through the windows, giving the walls that natural, gentle gloom. The lights were off and I could tell this home didn’t need it. With the amount of windows that had curtains ment for letting sun through, this house lit up in an almost magical way I never get to see at any other place.

I place my bags on her kitchen table, “do you need help with unpacking, too?” I give her a soft smile as she turns my way.

She smiles back, those small but plentiful wrinkles showing, “no, dear. It’s okay.” While she said that, she did a dissmisal like swipe of her hand, shifting my attention to the Red Scarflette, and apparantly my friends, too.

“Why do you always wear that red thing?” Red thing, huh? Should not have asked that. She curiously gestures to the red scarflette arpund the old ladys wrist with a pointed finger.

The old lady lets her gaze fall on my idiotic best-friend, before she smiles sweetly. “My husband gave it to me before he passed.” Oh

“Oh.” My friend lowers her pointed hand, “sorry for asking.”

I very briefly remember Old Sallys husband. I used to see him when I was over, when I was very young. I have faded memories of his sweet smile that matched hers, his old, tired eyes that made even me feel sleepy. He had a soft voice that not even Ms. Sally could top. Whenever he got to tell us bedtime stories, I secretly was excited.

He wore a red scarflette around his neck with a different plaid shirt every day. How could I have not realized it sooner?

“No, it’s okay, lovely. All this time you’ve wondered. I know. I see it all.” She turns to her bags and begins the unloading process, I swear I see a small smile. “And all this time, all you had to do was ask.”