- Lucy, what do you say for a bedtime story? - Anna asked, entering her child's room - I think Jace would enjoy it - she added.
Her daughter raised her head from the drawing and smiled.
- I would love to! But, can I end my drawing first? - she asked.
- Of course you can - woman replied.
Little girl took teal crayon and began to colour a person. Curious mother peeked over her daughter's arm.
There were two persons drew on the paper. First was a little girl wearing dungarees and grey shirt with puppies. Anna guessed it was Lucy. Second was a really tall, indeed gigantic person, who was wearing dirty and torn hospital clothes, he had white and long hair and blue eyes.
Characters from drawing seemed to have a picnic, woman could see a blanket and basket next to it.
Woman didn't recognize the giant her daughter drew, she decided to ask her child about it.
- It's a beautiful drawing darling, but can you tell me who is that? - she pointed at the second figure. Her daughter frowned.
- I really shouldn't tell you, but... - little girl looked to her left and then to her right - Can you keep a secret?
- Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye - woman said words from her daughter's favorite show.
Girl took her drawing and brought it closer to her mom. She pointed at the figure and said:
- This is Jonah. He's a really kind and gentle giant living in the forest here. We often play together, as he's all alone. For example - she tapped the drawing she was holding - Yesterday we had a picnic on the glade near the brook - girl opened her drawer and took out more drawings and began to show them to her mother.
- This is the first time we met. I was escaping from an angry pack of wolves and Jonah fend them off, saving me - she handed her mom a drawing showing recalled event.
- Here is how I was teaching Jonah sign language. He can't speak, but he does hear. I had to taught him it, because there's no such big sheets of paper and pen for him to write - Lucy explained.
- Remember that one time when I was sick and you were worried that you have to leave me alone, because you had to go to work? - girl shown a drawing of a giant laying down next to their house - I wasn't alone. Jonah sometimes came to say "hi" and to give me blueberries he collected.
- Or when he saved Henry from his bullies! It was really nice of him and Henry also promised he won't tell anyone, since Jonah is really afraid of adults - little girl said.
Anna smiled - her daughter surely had a wild imagination.
- But why is he afraid of adults? - she asked, curious what answer she'll get.
- Jonah said that if adults saw him, they would call a police or an army to take him down, as they might think he's dangerous - Lucy explained.
- Silly me - woman replied - But can you tell me, has he always been a giant? - she asked.
- No. Jonah told me that his parents made him so big, because they were offered a large amount of money for creating an invincible supersoldier - little girl replied.
That's when it got a little suspicious. Her daughter didn't know what a "supersoldier" is, nor that giants are seen as monsters, since she hadn't read her any fairytale about giants. Besides, her daughter was indeed disappearing in the afternoons and was coming really late. Even if she was going to the forest, wouldn't she quickly get bored after an hour without a playmate? And Anna did recall that one day her daughter was eating blueberries, even though woman didn't buy them.
But she quickly shook off that thought. Giants don't exist and never will.
- It was fascinating hearing these stories about your friend, but now let's go to Jace for bedtime story, okay? - she said. Lucy nodded in agreement and having took her mom by her hand, they left to woman's bedroom, where the youngest was laying in his cradle.
***
Anna was in the kitchen, looking at two pies she baked. She made too much batter and now she had one extra pie. She didn't know what to do with it, they won't be able to eat it and she didn't want for it to go to waste. And she didn't have any neighbors, she was living in the outskirts, far from town's hustle and bustle.
- Oh, an extra pie! I know what to do with it! - her daughter, who popped out of nowhere, exclaimed.
- Yeah? - Anna asked.
- We can give it to Jonah! He really loves your pastries, just like me! - little girl said.
- Sweetie, I don't think it's a good idea... - woman hesitated, knowing that imaginary friend isn't going to actually eat the pie.
- Mommy, please! He has to only eat things growing in the forest and that pie would be such a delicacy! - Lucy whined and made big eyes. Anna sighed. How could she say "no" to those eyes?
- Fine, where can we find him? - she asked.
***
Anna was being led by her daughter far into the woods. It worried her that Lucy was going there alone, yet nothing bad ever happened to her during her trips to the forest.
- It's here - girl announced. Woman looked around. It wasn't a special place. Just a little glade with a brook near it and a trunk in a middle.
- So, where's your friend? - she asked, though she was sure that no one will come.
- He's hiding in the bushes, I told you he's scared of adults - she mumbled.
- Then how are we going to give him the pie? - woman kept asking.
- Leave it to me - Lucy took the pie and then left it on the trunk. She then shouted:
- Jonah! I know you won't show up, but I wanted to introduce my mom to you! - she looked at her mother - Say "hi" mom - she said.
- Hi Jonah, it's nice to meet you - woman played along.
- We brought you a pie! I hope you enjoy it, since mom baked it - she added.
Anna watched with a little smile how she was talking to her imaginary friend, who allegedly was hiding behind the bushes. And on the second thought, pie won't go to waste, probably some forest critters will comsume it eagerly.
But it was getting dark and soon the cool air pierced through woman's coat.
- Lucy, it's high time for us to go home! - she called her child.
- Okay mom! - little girl waved her hand - Bye Jonah! I'll come tomorrow - having said that, Lucy followed her mother.
Anna was about to ask her daughter something, when she heard a rustle. She stopped, her daughter was still going forward.
She turned around and saw with her own eyes how a vast hand was disappearing among the bushes and the pie along with it.
