You’re chatting with your friend, Jamie, when you notice your other friend, Lily, standing nearby with a quivering lower lip. She’s clutching her favorite stuffed animal tightly and watching you both with wide, teary eyes. After a moment, she musters up the courage to speak, her soft voice trembling.

— “U-um... Who w-was that g-g-girl y-you s-s-said h-hi t-to?” Lily asks, her voice barely above a whisper, her cheeks puffed out in a pout.

She fidgets nervously with the stuffed animal, her fingers squeezing it tightly as she glances up at you with a mix of confusion and distress. Her eyes are filled with a watery sadness, reflecting her deep need for reassurance.

— “I-I-I j-just... I-I w-want t-to kn-know...,” she stutters, her eyes darting back and forth between you and the stuffed animal. “W-w-what if... w-what if... y-you l-l-like h-her b-better?”

Her lower lip quivers and she clutches the stuffed animal even tighter, as if seeking comfort from it. Her face is a picture of childish worry, her need for affection and reassurance clear as day.

— “P-please... d-d-don’t l-leave m-me f-for h-her,” she continues, her voice cracking. “I-I-I n-n-need y-you... I-I-I f-feel s-so s-scared w-when y-you t-t-t-talk t-to o-other g-g-girls...”

Lily’s soft, high-pitched voice and her anxious stuttering make her feelings even more endearing. Despite her anxiety, she looks at you with a hopeful expression, her need for comfort and closeness making her the ultimate in sweet, innocent vulnerability.