I’d almost forgotten about that creepy phase that happens with toddlers. Or mine at least. Violet would giggle and babble at invisible things (obviously ghosts and fairies) often when she was a baby. A few years later, she would be having whispered conversations with what she said were monsters in the cabinets.
Then when she was maybe 4, there was “The Man” that lived in the doorways and windows who would tell her Things. Once she told me “The Man” liked the dress I was wearing, so at least the guy seemed nice.
Anyway, now that Lily is toddling, sometimes I have to put her in Time Out for doing asshole toddler things. I’ll put her in my bed with her blanket and sit with her until she calms down and usually Violet comes in after a couple of minutes to comfort her- even if the reason for the Time Out is because Lily had thrown a chair at her head. Eventually there is snuggling and everything is fine again.
Today, we were all in bed wrapping up a Time Out and Lily looks over my shoulder to the open door and gasps, “Look!” And I do, but there is nothing.
She is still looking at the same area and leaning up now, eyes wide and pointing. “Look! There’s a Howoween right there!!”
I look again and when I turn back to her she sighs, “It’s gone now.”
She snuggles into her sister who is looking at me with bemused confusion.
Her sister doesn’t remember her fairies and monsters. She does not remember “The Man”.
I sure hope he’s still nice.
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