Soft and sweet.

Little Bird has been sad for a while now; she was on antidepressants earlier this year. I felt bad because I didn't know, or I hadn't worked it out; she'd come round to mine and we'd sit quietly and watch something, but that was fine. I like to be quiet sometimes. I thought she did too, and that was all there was. She might not be on them now, but I don't want to ask if she doesn't want to tell me. Then her Dad's stopped speaking to her because she's moved with her Mum (her parents are getting divorced) and her ex-boyfriend is horrible to her. She never really liked him as a boyfriend, but he hassled her into seeing him; then when she ended it he wanted still to be friends. He went round to her house one night and spent forty minutes telling her she was a terrible person, and tonight he told her boys are playing a game called Fat or Pregnant? behind her back. She cried (she got drunk) after the terrible person night, and tonight I thought she might again; we were food shopping and she told me about the game. I wanted to give her a big enveloping embrace and to tell her she looked lovely, but I couldn't in a food shop. In any shop, in public, really. I had to make do with rubbing her arm like some sort of sexual deviant- I am ridiculous at times. Her ex is very ugly, but charismatic; I think he manipulates her too easily. She is beautiful, and therein lies the problem; he wants to knock her down.

She's gained a little bit of weight recently; my friends noticed, and it was only then that I did. I didn't because I see her most days. I always thought she looked just beautiful; and she is one of the people I could say this about, and mean it, and yet she never made me feel ugly for it as most do unintentionally. She's wonderful, and she doesn't need people to say those things about her. He didn't need to say it to her. I am furious with him; she's having a bad enough time as it is without him ruining her again.

Darling, one day I will hold you as your mother did when you were a child and reassure you that you are wonderful in every way. I think that you need someone to do that at the moment; there are a variety of people you could go to, but I wouldn't mind if you chose me. I'd be honoured.