The lights were still on in the tiny bedroom of this 4th floor apartment when Jonah came home. He hung his coat, took off his shoes and went to see his daughter to say goodnight.

And like every night, little Mika said: “Daddy, would you tell me a story?”

And like every night, Jonah smiled his sad smile and answered: “I’m sorry sweetheart, I only know sad stories. But maybe you could tell me one?”

And Mika would tell him about Daisy, the dragon princess who was so very smart and beat everyone at chess, about Leelo the unicorn and her best friend Rob, the elephant. She would make grand gestures while explaining how they lived in a magic forest where candies grew on trees and rivers of apple juice sang their merry songs to the blue birds and the red foxes.

Jonah’s eyes were wide with wonder, his smile no longer sad, when he kissed his daughter on the forehead and pulled the blanket on her. He went to his own room and took out his journal, already almost full, and wrote tonight’s adventures on a new blank page. Like every night, he fell asleep at his desk, his mind still full of cotton-candy clouds and flying racoons.

The lights were still on in the tiny bedroom of this 4th floor apartment. Jonah went straight to his daughter’s bedroom without taking his shoes off. She looked up at him, hope in her eyes.

“Daddy? Will you tell me a story?”

“Yes sweetheart. Let me tell you the story of Randy the dragon prince, and his sister Daisy…”