He meets her on a Sunday morning.

According to his mother, the new neighbour's patriarch had been promoted as one of the heads of neuroscience. Meanwhile, his wife was a technology developer. It was the husband's promotion that had earned his family the move to this particular housing development. But what Eric didn't know was that they had a little girl who was his age, so when his parents dressed him up and he begrudgingly walked next door with them holding a fruit basket, he was surprised to see a small girl, clad in a blue dress with a white bow tied perfectly in her dark curls.

While their parents made idle chit chat, talking about the move, the housing complex, their work, etc, Eric managed to catch the girl sneaking off, presumably to her room. He followed her to find his assumption correct. She was in her room messing around on a tablet, though she paused when she heard him enter. Her big green eyes peered up at him expectantly, waiting for him to say something.

"They didn't give your name." He finally uttered.

"Tessa," she told him. Her voice was just as sweet and young as any other girl their age. "Tessa Darcy Bell." His eyes flash to the stuffed animal sitting on her bed and his mind was quick.

"Teddy." Her murmurs. The little girl furrowed her brows and tilted her head, waiting for an explanation. "Tessa Darcy. T.D. Teddy." She finds it odd that he's given her a nickname after knowing each other for five seconds.

"Well, aren't you going to introduce yourself?"

"My name is Eric Coulter." He announced. Even for a seven-year old, he was so stoic and the girl had to bite back a smile at his demeanor, even though she couldn't think of another name to call him by. "That app hasn't been released yet."

"No." She assented. "My mother designed it." He looked at her expectantly, to which she bit back another grin, understanding his unspoken question. She scooched over on her bed to make room for him and she handed him the tablet. He nodded once in thanks and began to fiddle with the app, educating himself with the new technology, very much aware of her bright eyes studying him.