Dear diary,

I love it when mommy kisses my cheeks. She says I taste like sugar and cookies.

I love cookies. Moma used to bake many big and round cookies for me with yummy choco chips stuffed inside them. But now, I haven’t eaten Moma’s cookies for months. Mommy’s cookies don’t taste like Moma’s. I hope she returns soon from her adventure.

Mommy said Moma went into the light, toward the sun, to a place where it never rains, and the night never comes.

I like the sun very much. It’s warm and bright. I play hide and seek with my classmates under its eyes, and even dodge ball. Miss Evelyn says I’m very good at hiding. However, I don’t like it when the sun goes to sleep. Everything then becomes dark and cold. Darkness scares me.

I once got lost in the park because I couldn’t see anything and wasn’t able to make out the landmarks. Left from the big old tree, right on the second turn, straight until the golden pillar covered in old stacks of paper, and at last, a left from the house with flowers.

But because of darkness, I couldn’t see. Even the streetlights didn’t work that night. Feeling hungry and lonely, I cried and yelled for mommy.  

Bobby from the school said monsters come out at night from their hiding spots; monsters which take you away and never return you back. So I hid behind the big old grey tree until I heard daddy’s voice.

Daddy hugged me tightly when he found me and flung me high up in the air. He then kissed both of my cheeks and rubbed his face against mine. 

It tickles my face when mommy rubs her cheeks against mine, but I don’t like it when daddy does it. His beard stings!

“Daddy -don’t do it- your beard hurts!” I cried and daddy started laughing.

That night I asked daddy why his face has beard and mommy’s doesn’t.

“Oh, my salty Anna, haven’t you ever seen a Rose before?” daddy said.

“I’m not salty!”

“Alright, alright- You see,” He said looking in my eyes, “Every rose, no matter how beautiful and fragrant, needs thorns to protect it from the evil charmers roaming about it. However, because your mommy can’t grow these thorns, as it would tarnish her beautiful face, I, in her part am growing them to keep her safe and protected.”

“Will you keep me safe too, daddy?”
“Of course, my little troublemaker- I’ll always keep you safe.” I slept with mommy and daddy that night, and daddy scared away all the monsters as he promised. Daddy might be a liar, but I know, he loves me too.