I had all the information on how to take care of the cactus, the woman who had helped me pick it out had told me everything I would need to pass along to Eddie, but I was grinning too hard as I took the lion into my hands. He was soft and warm from Eddie holding him and I liked how red his mane was, bright and bit and friendly. For a second my chin wobbled a little and I thought I might cry, because I didn't think anyone had ever given me something this sweet in my entire life.

"I love him," I said, pressing the lion into my chest. I didn't care if any of the other boys teased me, the lion was going right on my pillow and he was going to stay in my bed the entire night. If I couldn't sleep with Eddie like we had in the closet on New Year's Eve, this would be the next best thing.

"You only have to water it once a week," I told him, flushed and flustered and pleased. "There are drainage holes at the bottom and the water will leak out into the plate and then get sucked back up. The, um... the rocks on top of the soil are from the amusement park. From the first time we spent the day together."