Danny’s crush: A tale of puppy love

BY SALLY FRIEDMAN

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

LIFESOUNDS

We took bets as to whether he’d be waiting at the door for her. And the “yes” votes won hands-down.

There was little Danny, our adored and adorable grandson, standing at the kitchen door of his house in Montclair, scoping out the driveway. At the first sight of the car, the one that was bringing his beloved, he was out of that door like that proverbial bat out of hell.

Danny is in love. The object of his affection is Mellora, the best friend of our oldest grandchild, Hannah. Mellora, a city girl from Manhattan, was visiting with our extended family over the holidays, and was joining the rest of us at a family party as a honorary member of the clan, which she definitely is. She has been in our midst since she and Hannah became fast friends at summer camp, and have stayed close despite all odds.

So Danny has known Mellora most of his life. And somewhere along the line, he fell madly in love with her.

The problem in this love affair is that old bugaboo, age.

Danny is 8. Mellora is 17. You do the math.

Fortunately for Danny, Mellora is beautiful, smart, funny, and also patient. She loves little Danny, and understands that she is the first major crush in his life. He actually blushes at the sight of her.

So yes, on this recent afternoon, Danny ignored the rest of us as he leapt into Mellora’s outstretched arms. He allowed himself an indulgent moment of simply putting his head on her shoulder, then realized that there were witnesses to this love-fest, and that he’d better be a bit less public about his adoration.

It was a touching moment: a reminder that even at 8, and deep in puppy love, Danny is keenly aware of his image.

I watched my red-headed grandson, the youngest of our own youngest daughter’s three fierce boys, as the day wore on.

I watched as he was torn between Mellora and his cousins, peers and playmates who can’t get enough of one another.

Every now and then, Danny would peek in on his lady-love, just to be sure she was still there. A couple of times, he came and sat by her feet, happy just be near her.

For her part, Mellora handled the devotion of this little boy so deftly that I had to marvel - she is, after all, only 17 herself. She let him know that yes, she was there, and happy to see him. But she also made sure Danny know that she couldn’t devote all of her time and attention to him.

Through a very long day, and a wonderful family dinner, Danny and Mellora executed their ballet. He insisted that she sit near him at the table. She made sure that he got the one brownie in a large batch that he’d been eying.

As the evening wore down, and the inescapable feeling of endings descended, I saw this little grandson, always joyful, always as playful as a puppy, dejectedly settle himself into a corner of the foyer near the coat closet.

No fool, Danny knew that this was “The End,” just as surely as if it had flashed across a movie screen. Mellora would go back to her life, her family, her school. And Danny would trudge off to third grade, book bag in place, heart still dislocated.

I wanted to scoop him up in my arms, but didn’t dare. Grandma was not what this little guy needed.

As Mellora gathered up her coat, Danny put his head down. This was it. His beautiful, wonderful Mellora was leaving.

She said her other goodbyes and thank yous as he sat in bowed-head dejection. It was as if what he didn’t see wasn’t happening – a touchingly protective kind of child logic.

And then Mellora leaned down to say goodbye to this little boy who loved her so.

I watched my grandson fortify himself with a deep breath. I watched as he gave her a bear hug that seemed capable of suffocating poor Mellora.

And then Danny did something incredibly brave. He squared his little shoulders, told her that he’d see her soon, and marched off to rejoin his cousins.

To an eight-year-old, it may have seemed the longest walk of his life.

But true love, as we grown-ups know – and Danny is learning – is worth the pain.

Sally Friedman is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, resident of Moorestown, and longtime contributor to local, regional and national publications. The mother of three has seven grandchildren and is the wife of retired New Jersey Superior Court judge Victor Friedman. She can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .