Theo was three years old, and he had a green stuffed dinosaur named Rocky. His favorite thing in the whole world was going to the park with Dad. There was the red slide, which was super fast.
There were the swings, which went almost all the way up to the clouds. And there was the sandbox, where Theo and Rocky built giant mountains. But there was one moment Theo didn't like at all.
It was when Dad looked at his watch and said, “Theo, time to go.” Then something rose up from his toes to the top of his head, like a volcano. Theo flopped onto the ground, kicked his feet and cried really loud.
“I don't want to go! No, no, no!” Dad crouched down next to him and waited, calm and patient. When the volcano finally cooled down, they walked home slowly, but Theo felt sad.
That night, snuggled in bed, Theo hugged Rocky. “Rocky, why do I get so mad when we leave the park?” he asked softly. Rocky didn't answer, of course, but Theo kept thinking.
And then he had an idea. “I leave so fast that I never say goodbye,” he thought. “So the park doesn't know I'm coming back.”
The next day, Theo played at the park all afternoon. When Dad told him there were five minutes left, Theo nodded very seriously. He felt a tiny bit of volcano in his tummy, but he had a plan.
He ran to the slide and gave it a pat. “Bye, slide! I'll be back tomorrow!” Then he went to the swings. “Bye, swings! Save my spot!” After that, he said goodbye to the sandbox, a bench and a little puddle.
He even waved to the pigeons, who tilted their heads at him. “Bye, pigeons!” Theo said. “I'll tell you more stuff tomorrow.” Dad watched him in surprise, with a great big smile.
“All done?” he asked. “All done,” said Theo, taking his hand. “Now the park knows I'm coming back.” They walked home hopping over the cracks in the sidewalk, no volcano and no rush.
That night, after his bath, Theo climbed into bed with Rocky. Dad turned off the big light and switched on the little moon lamp. Theo looked out the window and saw the moon, round and calm.
“Bye, day,” he whispered. “Bye, slide. Bye, pigeons.” “See you tomorrow,” he added, his eyes half closed. Rocky stayed still beside him, keeping watch over his dreams.
And Theo fell asleep peacefully, knowing everything would still be there in the morning. Goodnight, Theo…
