Young Hearts Apr 2026

“When I’m with you,” he began, “I feel like I’m not waiting anymore. Like the waiting room has a door, and you’re on the other side.” He swallowed. “I think I like you. Not just as a friend. I think my heart beats different when you’re near.”

He sat up in the dark and whispered into his pillow: Oh.

It started with Leo.

“I need to tell you something,” Eli said. His mouth was dry. “And you don’t have to say anything back. But I need to say it.”

“Hey.”

That was the second secret: the wanting that had no name yet, only a pulse.

“You know how to fix this?” Leo asked. Young Hearts

Eli turned his head. Leo was crying, silent tears tracking down his cheeks. But he was smiling too—a small, terrified, hopeful smile.

Eli sat down on the step, close but not touching. He looked at the scuffed toes of his sneakers. “When I’m with you,” he began, “I feel