"Uhm, they are up at the attic," Bonnie replied to his inquiry. "So no, strange old man, you cannot go up to my room to 'see them'," she continued but only in her mind. The expression in his eyes turned from excitement to disappointment when he heard this and she felt more annoyed than she had been with him the whole night. How could this man whom she could not remember meeting before today make her feel guilty for doing something extremely normal? She stopped playing with those toys some years ago when she discovered outdoor sports and boxed them to the attic when she had to find room for her make-over clothes and girly trinkets. She'll be going to high school in the next school year. Surely, he did not really think she was still playing with those.

"Really? Time does fly fast. I can still clearly remember the day I was pondering whether I should bring them up to the attic, instead I brought them over to your house. Now, I see that you have brought them up there yourself."

Bonnie just nodded. No more word was exchanged between them that night as the rest of the adults engaged Andy in a talk about his work in a university. But he had already planted a melancholic seed in Bonnie's heart. She would be entering prep school and leaving her current friends behind. Later that night, when Thanksgiving dinner was over, she climbed up the attic and searched for her little Dolly and tea set. She'd take those out for a little tea session with her next door neighbor, classmate, seatmate and forever bestfriend, Vivienne, tomorrow. As she closed down the old toy box, she took a glance at her other toys, her eyes finally landing on her old cowboy, the one that talkative man fondly calls Woody.

-break-

She did not see Andy much after that night. He lived away at that university her parents want her to get into so badly. Due to her mom's request, he was supposed to be her tour guide during her college field trip day last year but on the week of her schedule, he got called out abroad for research work. Though he did help her out by writing down recommendation letters for her. The last thing she heard about him was that he was engaged.

"Oh, that did not really work out." He smiled and then gulped his coffee, as if to hide the pain in his eyes.

Then, there she was, feeling guilty around him again. They were sitting on a coffee shop, on her first week in college. Andy was teaching on the engineering department while she planned on pursuing liberal arts. He came to pick her up earlier that afternoon, probably due to her mother's prodding that he looks after her.

"I took Woody down the night you asked about him," she said randomly to get rid of the silence that came between them after his last reply.

"Really? So is he still in one piece?"

"I think so. He looked sound and healthy, dusty, though. I was supposed to bring him over to your house the next day, but Molly said you went away early, so... I just brought him right back up to the attic."

"Oh, thanks. So, you did not threw or gave them away, huh?" Andy replied in between gulps.

"I'm a keeper, I guess. I imagine my own kids could play with them and save up on the cost of new toys."

"Thrifty," Andy hinting a laugh. "I am curious whether kids nowadays still like to play with conventional toys. The very little ones already seem to be addicted with video games."

"Yeah, I kind of find it sad. All the kids right now just sit in front of the screen, not much moving around, not much more imagining to do as all the plots and stories are already played right in front of their eyes."

"Yeah... I guess there will be no video games for my kids."

"Mine too," Bonnie said smiling widely at Andy.

-break-

Time does fly fast. Just four years ago, she was packing her stuffs to go to college. Now she was piling much of them back again to her parent's house.

"Are you sure you don't want to give these away?" Andy called from the foot of the stairs leading up to the attic. He helped drive some of her stuffs from the university, and now, was helping her carry them up to the attic. They've grown closer during her college years, always coming home together for Thanksgiving.

"I already gave those that could be given away. Everything left in there are classics."

"Classic in the literal sense of gathering dust up here in your attic." He said upon reaching the top of the stairs.

"Only until I find a place of my own big enough to hold a library." She said in as a matter-of-fact manner.

"Keeper," Andy grinned close to her face.

She felt warm and fuzzy inside. She loved that grin. Actually, she loved every impression on Andy' face... happy, sad, angry, mischievous... all of those were just adorable. And she was sure that he adored her too... only that he saw her only as that little girl he gave his old toys to up until now.

"Oh, look, its your box of old toys," Andy called out behind the stacks of boxes. Bonnie walked towards him who was now opening the box. "Woody!" Andy called out then embracing the toy.

This is one of those times Bonnie felt that Andy is a smaller kid than she is.

-break-