The Moment

The Moment

“Get out of my house,” Daniel said, peering in the treehouse.

Tip looked up, but didn’t move.

“I said get out,” Daniel said, but a little softer now, suddenly noticing his little brother wasn’t reacting in his normal way. “Why’re you here, isn’t it past your bedtime, ya little twerp?”

He could see Tip relax a little at the normal insult, but also that he was still really upset. Resisting the urge to just call for his parents, he was curious enough to find out why.

“What’s up?” he said finally, entering the treehouse, and sitting on the floor too.

“I had a bad dream.”

“Like a nightmare? Goblins and stuff? Woo woo!” Daniel said, poking his brother like it was funny.

“No,” he said quietly, “Not that kind. I have other kinds of bad dreams.”

“Huh, like what?”

“Oh, nothing, just bad. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Do you talk about it with Mom or Dad?”

“I used to, but they seemed to get upset, so I stopped, but sometimes they’re really scary.”

Daniel closed his eyes taking in all this information that he had been blissfully unaware of till this moment. His brother was suffering, alone, to protect his parents! How could he be so blind!

“Listen,” he finally said, “I think Mom and Dad would rather get upset, and help you, than have you keep it a secret. Matter of fact I know they would. I can help you tell them. What do you say?”

“You would? Really?”

“Yes, and I’ll let you share my tree house while we’re fixing it. But only till it’s fixed!” he added, just to sound big-brothery.

Tip actually laughed, “It’s a deal.”

“Let’s do it now,” Daniel said, not even realizing he had just done some serious growing up.