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Hey, for a start, you just completely recreated my childhood for me and I really love you for that.
First, If I were you I would refrain from mentioning cardboard until the end, the way you describe it makes it seem so much important and it would be good to have the reader trying to guess what you were thinking of.

I really like your style of writing, descriptive but not wasteful

At the end you really emphasise the different between the boredom of adult life and the wonders of a child's imagination, maybe emphasise this a little more?

Good job

I really liked this short little story - it captures the good ol' childhood memories and fun times with imagination, but it also blantly views how over time, people sort of...lose it. I especially live how you showed that in the scene;

<i>“It’s not a pet,” she told me once. It can be. </i>

<i>“It’s not a rocket ship.” And just why not? </i>

<i>“It’s just… a box.” No. Not just. </i>

The contradictions really emphasized it, and I just freaking love that scene! Lovely story here, so sad he had to throw it away (sort of makes me wary against the girlfriend, I'll admit.) Assuming she <i>is</i> his girlfriend, I mean. Ahaha!

have you ever read that children's book about a rabbit that played in a cardboard box and turned it into a whole bunch of things WITH HIS MIND?!
'cause this sounds exactly like that.
Except for the heart wrenching, gut squishing ending.
good for you. you broke that little rabbit's heart.
in the best way possible.

you did good.