story.“

    ‘ story do you  to play?“

    ‘A story about rockets.“

    ‘I don’t  to be a rocket. Let’s be boats.“

    ‘e s yesterday.“

    ce, t of tree, and ell broter.

    ‘It’s the cake man!“

    Karen stepped out of tell you his is your uncle.”

    Aurelius looked from Karen to to Karen, o take in everyted to.  for  Karen reac a tentative ook it in his.

    ‘It’s all a bit…“ he began.

    ‘Isn’t it?“ s  used to it,  we?“

    he nodded.

    taring y at t scene.

    ‘ are you playing?“ Karen asked, to distract them.

    ‘e don’t knohe girl said.

    ‘e can’t decide,“ said her.

    ‘Do you knoories?“ Emma asked Aurelius.

    ‘Only one,“ old her.

    ‘Only one?“ Sounded. ” got any frogs in it?“

    ‘No.“

    ‘Dinosaurs?“

    ‘No.“

    ‘Secret passages?“

    ‘No.“

    t eac  mucory, clearly.

    ‘e knoories,“ tom said.

    ‘Loads,“ sles, fairy godmothers—“

    ‘Caterpillars, rabbits, eleps—“

    ‘All sorts of animals.“

    ‘All sorts.“

    to silence, absorbed in semplation of countless different worlds.

    Aurelius chey were a miracle.

    turned to tories,” the boy said.

    ‘Sell you a story?“ the girl asked.

    I t perories for one day, but he nodded his head.

    S and placed it in t  so be sure stention of urned to the book in her hand, and she began.

    ‘Once upon a time…“

    Karen and tom and Aurelius: ts of eyes all resting on Emma and orytelling. t toge