I watched him walk to the back door. The main door was open, leaving the glass door between us and the early morning darkness. He stared at his own reflection; door turned mirror slowly frosting over from the chill on the other side. His eyes shifted to mine in the reflection. He stepped outside.


"Beach outside!" He shouted, letting the door slam behind him.

"Shh, people are sleeping."

"Yeah." Somber. Then, almost shouting again, "Beach!"

"There's a beach outside?"

"Yeah."

Such is the imagination of a child. "Did you go swimming?"

"Yeah! Brrrrrr!"

"Oh, is it a bit chilly to be swimming?"

"Chilly, yeah."

I smiled. He wakes up so early, but it's hard to harbor a bad mood when he's so happy, brimming with excitement.

How did this particular game start? Running out into the dark chill of our back porch, inventing places to visit? How do their developing minds work? Everything is fantastical, who's to say he didn't visit a beach. That he doesn't believe it?


"Dark forest!"

I sipped my coffee, "Oh?"

"Yeah!" He was bouncing in front of the back door, another chilly, early morning. All I could see was our reflection and inky blackness beyond.

"Did you have a nice walk in the forest? Did play with anyone?"

"Forest. I played with Kai."

"Kai from daycare? Is he your friend?"

"Yeah. And els!"

"Els?"

"No. Els."

"Okay, sounds fun." I hadn't met an 'Els,' but Kai I knew well.

"Els!" He ran off to take another bite of breakfast and knock down the tower he built just a few minutes ago.


It was raining, and I had a choice of either dealing with a wet kid or a disappointed kid. Maybe he would forget this morning, pick up a new game.

"I want to go outside." He was reaching for the door knob.

Oh well, I thought, I have to change him before daycare anyways. "Alright buddy, hold on." The deadbolt gave a satisfying thunk as I turned the lock, then opened the door.

He practically threw himself out, into the black. I let the glass door slowly close, taking a deep breath of cold air. Did I smell pine? Like when we bring home a fresh cut Christmas tree.


"Forest!"

I jumped a little, putting down the paper and taking another sip of coffee. How long has he been out there? I was so tired from the early wake ups that I must have zoned out. "The forest again? Was Kai there?"

"No Kai. Els!"

"Els? Elves?"

"Yeah, Els!" He grinned ear to ear. I guess v's were a tricky sound. "Did you play with the Elves?"

"Yeah!" He ran off to play with his trucks.

Elves? Where had he heard about elves? A movie I guess. The sky was starting to lighten and I could just make out the silhouette of our modest, suburban yard. No forest, barely any trees. Certainly no elves.


"Els!" The glass door slammed shut. "They want to play more."

"Oh yeah? The elves want to play?"

"In the forest. The cave."

"Oh. Hey buddy, I really need to get ready for work, can you put your socks on?"

"Yeah."

I figured there was a fifty fifty chance he would actually get socks on. I threw an apple in my bag and grabbed his lunch from the fridge.


Another morning, too early. He was already out the back door, I stared through my reflection to the blackness beyond and sipped my fresh coffee. Forest, elves, Kai, a cave. I wondered what he would invent next. His little morning adventures. I could swear I heard wind rustling through trees.


I put the cold dregs of coffee down next to the paper. It was almost time to get ready, how long had he been out there?

Light was just starting to come through the glass door, breaking the mirror effect, letting me see our porch and yard.

Empty.