Time.

Building a relationship with Abby is not easy.
She has just got this solid exterior, and it takes a lot of work to crack through and figure her out sometimes.
It is labor intensive and time-consuming...
But trust me, if you put forth the required effort, it is infinitely worth the reward.

I took her to Chili's tonight.
Deak took his first step, and for some reason my heart needed to share that moment with her.
She was so excited and said he will "walk in January, because that's when he likes to do things."
I love the way she believes in him.

She likes being with just me.
I like being with just her.

She chatted about her class, her best little friend and a girl who "gets into everyone's business." 
She expressed concern over the choice her friend made to share her "crush" with the "nosy girl" because she is certain she will tell him (I told her she was right.)

I found out two boys like her, and I can tell she is kinda stoked about one of them, though she will go to the grave before admitting it aloud.
She said that when the nosy girl told her he liked her, she replied "Gross" and the other dude never had a chance because he is a BYU fan.

She said the "nosy girl" likes the boy who likes her (Abby).  I told her to watch out for girls like that, because girls can do some mean things about boys.
She nodded her head, but only to appease me.
She knows she can take that girl any day.
Mostly because she just doesn't care.

I talked to her about my first crush and the pukka shell necklace he wore to school everyday.  He asked to be my boyfriend right before my parents told me we were moving to Utah.
I was crushed.

She giggled.

My heart was filled to the top with gratitude that I got such a dang good kid.  I am so unbelievably proud of her. 

My first baby, born with an old soul.

As we walked out of the restaurant, a couple of boys that looked to be around her age elbowed each other and watched her walk around the corner.  She turned her head, looked their direction, then up at me, and smirked.

I asked her if she knew them.
She said, "No" with a smile.

Man, we are heading for trouble.

My invested time tonight was repaid tenfold.

(Dressed in self-proclaimed "Utah Colors" to church after the beating they had against BYU:)

*PS...mention this post to Abby, and you will pay deeply...