**A Boy’s First Love**
“Mum, can I wear the blue shirt to nursery tomorrow?”
“The blue one? Why’s that?”
“Because Katie Smith said it looks nice on meit matches my eyes!”
“Well, if Katie said so, of course you can wear it.”
Little Alfie beamed and ran off to play with his older brother, Tom, who was already in school. That evening, their mum told Dad about Alfies sudden fondness for the blue shirt.
Dad chuckled and ruffled Alfies hair. “So, mate, do you like Katie?”
“Yeah. Im gonna marry her.”
“Oh? Well, first, youll need to finish school, maybe even uni. Then you can think about marriage.”
“Thats ages away!” Alfie frowned.
“Dad, can I marry Katie tomorrow instead?”
“Tomorrow? Where would you live, son?”
“At home,” Alfie said, as if it were obvious.
“Whose home? Katies?”
“No, Dad! Shed stay at hers, and Id stay at ours!”
Dad shook his head. “Doesnt work like that, lad. If you marry her, youd have to take her in, work to support her while she finishes nursery, then school, then uni.”
Alfies eyes welled up. “But what about me?”
“Youd have to work, son. Provide for your family.”
His mum knelt beside him. “Love, whats wrong?”
“Mum, I wanna marry Katie, but I dont wanna work yet! I wanna go to nursery, then school, and Dad said” His voice cracked into a wail.
“Youll marry her when youre older, darling.”
“But what if someone else takes her before then?”
“Like who?”
“Dunno… maybe Luke or Jack!”
Dad smirked. “Well, if shed let anyone else take her, shes not worth it.”
The next morning, Alfie marched up to Katiea girl in a red velvet dress, her long blonde hair tied with a giant bowgrabbed her hand, and declared, “Im gonna marry you, Smith!”
She blinked, then turned away. “No!”
Alfie stomped his foot. “I *said* Im marrying you! Justnot yet, alright?” He clasped her hands. “Later. Promise?”
“Why not now?” she asked, puzzled. “Luke and Emma got married yesterday.”
“Thats pretend! Oursll be real!”
“Fine,” she agreed, and hand in hand, they ran off to play.
At school, Alfie demanded the teacher seat him next to Katie. She refused, placing Katie beside another boy instead. Alfie plonked himself down beside her anyway.
“Im marrying Smith when I grow up.”
The class erupted in laughter. “Ooooh, lovebirds!”
“Quiet!” the teacher scolded. “Alfie, youre too young for such talk. Go to your seat.”
“No! Katie, tell her!”
Katie just smiled shyly.
“Well, Miss Smith?” the teacher prompted.
“Were *really* getting married when were older,” Katie said. “Not like Luke and Emma. Theirs was just nursery nonsense.”
The teacher sighed. “Fine. Sit together.”
Katie was the queen of his heart. He carried her bag, shielded her from dogs, bullies, even teachers. Once, when she fell and scraped her knee, he hauled her all the way to the nurses office.
Years later, in secondary school, he confessed properlyno games, no pretending.
And Katie?
She smiled that smile of hers and walked away, head held high.
“I *will* marry you, Smith!” he shouted after her. “Hear me?”
Then along came Jakea boxer, drove his own car, studied mechanics at college. Alfie took bruises for Katie but never backed down.
One evening, he spotted three lads loitering. Trouble.
“Oi, kid,” one drawled, peeling off the wall. “Come here.”
“You want me, *you* come.”
“Cheeky little git.”
“Got a name, mate.”
“Listen, ladstay away from Jakes girl.”
“*My* girl,” Alfie corrected. “Tell your mate if he doesnt back off, hell regret it.”
He turned his back, steeling himself for the attack.
It came latera cowards ambush. He was losing when a scream split the air.
Katie charged in, wielding a broken fence plank, swinging wildly. His brother and a friend sprinted overcalled by Emma, Katies mate.
That night, cleaned up and slathered in antiseptic, they laughed till their sides hurt.
As they walked Katie home, she turned to him. “Did it hurt?”
“Nah,” he lied.
She stood on tiptoes and kissed him. The lads tactfully looked away.
“Sorry, Alfie…”
“For what? Youre my hero! Swinging that plank like Bruce Leescares me, Smith. Howm I supposed to marry you if you fight like that?”
She laughed.
Then came his army send-off. Katie didnt cling or cry. They just stood close.
“RememberIll come back and marry you. Got it?”
“Yeah.” For the first time since nursery, she said yes. “Alfie…” She blushed. “Do you love me?”
“You daft? Ive been planning to marry you my whole life! Course I do.”
Letters flew back and forth, each whispering *love*.
Then they stopped.
No word for weeks. The telly showed boysdirty, grinning, alivefighting some far-off war.
Then three letters arrived at once. To his parents. To Katie. To Tom.
His was full of jokespenguins on the “northern mission.” They laughed through tears.
That night, Tom whispered the truth: penguins didnt live up north. Their childhood code revealed where Alfie *really* was.
One word. One cursed word.
Tom cried into his pillow.
He wrote back, joking, ending with: *Dont forgetyouve still gotta marry Smith. Or shell grab that plank again.*
Silence.
Thennews footage. Boys. No, soldiers.
“Mumits Alfie!” She clutched her chest as he turned, grinning, dimples flashing.
The ambulance came for her.
“Alive,” the doctor said. “Wait. Hell come home.”
Katie couldnt sleep. Her mum dosed them both with calming drops.
Alfies dad and Tom smoked on the balcony, silent.
“You knew?”
“Yeah.”
“Right.”
Katies dad rubbed his old bullet wound. “Hold on, son,” he whispered.
“Dad…” Her little brother trembled. “They wont kill him, right?”
“No. Hes still gotta marry Katie.”
He came home.
Dawn. A soldier on the bench, listening to birds.
Tom stepped onto the balcony, cigarette in hand.
“Smokings bad,” Alfie called up.
“Sos being cheeky. Might get punched.”
“Missed you, brother.”
Katies window flew open.
“Smith!” Alfie roared, drunk on joy. “Im here to marry you!”
No one scolded him.
“Mum, Dadcan I *finally* marry her?” He spun before the mirror.
“Get dressed, groom,” they laughed. “Before she changes her mind.”
“Over my dead body!”
***
“Mum, Im getting married.”
“Oh? When?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Really? And whos the lucky lady, Michael?”
“Emily Smith. From nursery.”
“*What?* Does Dad know?”
“Yeah. He said talk to Grandad first. So Im marrying her tomorrow.”
***
“Well, Grandad?” Alfies mum grinned.
“Aye. History repeats. Another Smith stealing our boys hearts.”
Alfies dadnow Michaels grandadlaughed. “Bloody Smiths.”
