Tiny opened one sleepy eye. The air was hazy with silver sparkles as though a moonbeam had slipped into her room during the night. She sat up with a start. The sparkles formed into a ribbon which fluttered towards the open window. Tiny leapt out of bed and chased after it, watching it drift into the pale dawn sky where Mother-the-Moon was floating wearing her half-smile.
“Good morning, Tiny,” greeted Mother-the-Moon. “Are you ready?”
“Ready for what?” Tiny said with a yawn.
“Ready for change, of course.”
The glint of Mother-the-Sun’s golden robe caught Tiny’s eye, and she waved as the sun poked her head from behind the clouds.
“Are you ready for change?” Mother-the-Sun sang. “Change is ready for you.”
Tiny rubbed her eyes and frowned. She leaned through the window to see the world outside. Everything looked the same, but something was different too. The soft scent of the wild moonflowers was sweeter than usual, and the cheerful chorus of the birds was almost deafening. A hummingbird hovered before darting away. The world seemed brighter, bolder, faster too.
The skin on Tiny’s neck began to prickle as fear swirled through her insides. She wasn’t sure if she was ready. What if she didn’t like the change, or wanted to switch things back, and couldn’t? What if she wanted to keep things just the way they were, safe, comforting, and familiar?
She looked up hoping the Mothers had changed their minds. They hadn’t. Instead, they lingered among the fading stars, sharing the brightening sky. Silver threads reached down and wrapped around Tiny’s heart, while a warming sunbeam encased her shoulders. Sun and moon held her in a loving embrace.
“Use the fear to fuel you,” said the moon.
“It’s coming Tiny. Be ready,” said the sun.
Tiny nodded, took a deep breath, and then she heard the knock at the door . . .