“I believe in fairies! I believe in fairies!” Elsie chanted. She was standing in the garden, with her eyes shut. “I believe in fairies, I believe in fairies, I believe…”

WACK!

“Hey!” Elsie cried to her twin brother, “You hit me!”

Eli was laughing and ran away from her to the other side of the garden.

“Mummy, Eli hit me!” Elsie cried. She ran over to the backdoor. “Mummy…”

“I believe in fairies.” Eli mocked, “I believe in fairies, only babies believe in fairies, Elsie.”

“I’m not a baby.” Elsie said, while stomping her foot. She went inside and found her mother baking cookies in the kitchen.

“Mummy, Eli says I’m a baby.” Elsie whined.

“Ah Elsie, you know that if you are a baby, he is too. You are both the same age.” Her mother, Mrs Chan, said. She had flour on her cheek and was measuring sugar into the bowl.

“But mummy, he says that only babies believe in fairies.” Elsie said.

“Darling, don’t you think you are a little too old for fairies.” Mrs Chan responded as she looked up from the bowl.

“No!” Elsie crossed her arms against her chest, “I am not too old. There is no such thing as being too old to believe in fairies.”

Mrs Chan sighed and picked up the wooden spoon. “I think its time you went to your room.”

“But Eli was the one who hit me!” Elsie argued.

“I don’t like your tone, missy.” Mrs Chan said.

Elsie stomped her foot and went to her room and slammed the door shut.

Elsie fell onto her bed and beat the pillow with her fist.

“I believe in fairies.” She said, “but nobody else will.” She punched her pillow again.

“And I am only ten; I am not too old…”

“Nobody is too old to believe in fairies.” A small quiet voice interrupted.

Elsie sat up quickly. She looked around her room for the owner of the voice. But apart from her favourite doll and various teddies’, she was the only person in the room.