Moonlight diffuses softly into the quiet children’s bedroom. Something rustles in the corner of the beloved room. He never did figure out what was in the gloom—a wild imagination or a genuinely fierce monster that wanted to eat him while the whole town slept, and no one would come to the rescue. Sleep finally defeats the fabricated fears.

In the morning, Johnny wakes up calm and relaxed. No trace of the monsters seen in the dark remains in his childhood memory. The room’s windows face southeast, so the sun rises a little later than in other rooms. A pleasant chance to sleep in a little longer.

With the first rays of the morning sun, Mary, Johnny’s mother, enters the room to wake him. Not for school. Today, the reason for getting up is completely different. A new model of bicycle has arrived at the children’s toy store downtown. Johnny has been dreaming of it for two and a half months. And his birthday is still more than four months away. They decided not to risk it and to buy the much-desired gift now. Later, it might not be available in stores across the city and state, and then they’d have to search across the entire country. The popular model instantly sells out in homes. The main thing is to be quick.

He lies in the soft, warm bed. A pleasant fog envelops everything in his head and before his eyes. It’s time to get up, or his birthday gift will get away from him. He opens his eyes and swings his legs off the bed onto the soft, though short-piled, beige rug. He carefully inspects the room with a homeowner’s gaze.

The desk lamp is on the writing table. The globe is here, too. Toys he hasn’t played with in ages sit in a box. The telescope looks into space. The colorful superhero posters hang correctly. Everything is in its place. He puts on his worn dark-blue jeans and a red hoodie with a painted blue rugby helmet and the local team’s name in gold. Now he can go.

Staying true to his daily tradition, the morning begins in the spacious and bright bathroom. It’s not just the sunlight. The windows face directly east, and the walls and floor are covered with snow-white ceramic glaze. Everything shines as if in paradise. The tiles are several years old but look brand new. Mom dedicates a lot of time to this place. Johnny isn’t the biggest fan of washing his face. It’s much more important and pleasant for him to splash in the fresh, cool stream. But he has to brush his teeth.

He got up later than usual today—it is Saturday, after all—and he still wants to sleep. He takes the blue toothbrush of transparent plastic in his right hand and lays a straight line of three-colored toothpaste on it. He knows those are the colors of some country, but he can’t figure out which one, or, in principle, what connection that country has to his teeth. Oh, these morning thoughts. You think about nonsense as if it were something supremely important. Yet, this time could have been used for more sleep. If he could wash his face and brush his teeth without getting out of bed, preferably while dreaming, the boy would be happier.

His teeth grate against the toothpaste. The unpleasant sensation is masked by a strong menthol wind with every inhale and exhale, overriding all other smells, even the persistent aroma of his mom’s perfume, which is generally hard to overpower with anything. She only used it once; it was too strong for her. Now it just sits here and smells.

The small mirror reflects the boy’s sleep-distorted face. Judging by how his unruly chestnut hair sticks out in every direction, it woke up much earlier than its owner and had a good romp. He tries to smooth the curls with wet fingers. Without a comb, this difficult task is impossible. After a good number of movements from his sleepy hand, the free-spirited hair finally settles into its usual place. He lets a few strands fall from his bangs. The haircut is ready.

His long, thick eyelashes threaten to close, shutting his rare sea-green eyes from the sunlight. A bit of toothpaste remains on his full, well-defined lips. He didn’t even realize how he noticed it while still half-asleep. Lonely drops of water run down his cheeks, having missed the nap of the faded pale-red towel. He has other towels, new ones. This one is dearer than all the rest; his Grandma Susie gave it to him when she last visited them. The last gift.

A ruthless heart attack struck the cheerful, vibrant old woman with a young soul on the neatly trimmed green lawn near the house. Since then, Johnny hasn’t mowed the grass there. The greenery grows as it pleases. The boy was only nine years old then. Laughing, he and his grandma were tossing an inflatable ball. In one moment, the ball simply fell from her hands. And that was the end for the joyful woman.

Almost four years have passed. A happy and bright birthday became the gloomy and sorrowful day of his beloved grandma’s death. For him, this towel will always be a memorable gift. The towel will wear out, holes will appear with time, the terry pile will shed, but it will never lose its value, just like the bright memories of his nine-year-old self and his grandma. I doubt Johnny will ever throw it away.

From the kitchen, which is on the first floor of their two-story house, his mother’s light voice is audible. Her intonation gives away her good mood, and that’s a welcome sign. A hot, tasty breakfast awaits the boy who grew hungry overnight. He rinses off the remaining toothpaste and wipes his face with his favorite towel. He heads down the red runner on the staircase, carefully watching the rectangular steps and placing his feet cautiously so he doesn’t trip and fall like he did last year. He spent a month at home with a cast on his leg.

After the routine in the bathroom, he walks with more spring in his step. Cold water in the morning refreshes and helps him wake up. People wrongly underestimate its magical property. Johnny is always surprised that people mainly drink coffee to wake up. Yet, taking a cold shower is much more effective. He’d bet that icy water opens the eyes a hundred times faster than hot coffee. Well, someday people will figure it out, but not today. Johnny himself doesn’t like cold water, but when necessary, he can take on this feat. For now, a hot breakfast awaits.

Mary’s good mood suggests a wonderful idea. She prepares Johnny’s favorite pancakes with raspberry jam. Next to the plate is a large cup of cocoa with marshmallow spheres. The boy sits down at the table. His mother greets him with a friendly smile—she has no other smile for her son, except maybe a smile of pride and joy for him, and, of course, the smile of a loving mother. Johnny never leaves Mary’s smile unanswered.

The wooden chair creaks slightly beneath him. His mother always marvels at how much he enjoys eating, so she tries to cook something tasty more often just to see her son’s happy face. And they have cocoa every day for breakfast. A friend told her that cocoa is good for children. Since then, there’s been no tea or coffee in the house. And on weekends and holidays, marshmallows appear in the cup.

Today, they eat breakfast faster than usual. They’re rushing downtown for the bike. Whatever the case, they still need to wash the dishes afterward. Johnny washes all the dishes sitting in the sink. It’s his way of saying thank you for the delicious breakfast. It isn’t the most pleasant task in the morning, but it is necessary. He wipes his tired hands. He admires his mother, who washes the dishes every day.

Johnny waits patiently. Mary is ready; they can go. They step outside and close the door behind them. They walk along the even sidewalk toward the downtown area. The town is small. They can get there in twenty minutes at a strolling pace. The weather is good today. They don’t wait for the old bus, which drives slower than they walk.

Johnny is already grown up and independent. He walks to his mother’s left, as befits a gentleman. A proud gaze, his chin parallel to the ground, straight posture, and polite speech. Mary doesn’t often tell her son that she’s proud, although she herself would like to praise him every day. That’s her parenting method. If you want your son to grow into a man, treat him like a man. Judging by Johnny, she is succeeding. Happily, he is growing up to be a man, not a lady-pleaser or a clumsy, helpless boy spoiled by female attention. His sense of self-respect is just as high as his respect for himself and others.

Tall maple trees with swelling buds line the entire street. The March sun breaks through the spreading branches. Johnny imagines what July twenty-seventh, his birthday, will be like. In his thoughts, he’s riding his brand-new bicycle, and a big celebratory cake with thirteen candles awaits him at home. He still needs to figure out what wish he’ll make when it’s time to blow out the candles. They’re going to buy the bike, but he hasn’t thought of a new wish yet. His face noticeably tenses. Mary doesn’t miss it. They have a tradition of discussing problems, provided it doesn’t concern personal life.

There are rare exceptions for personal questions when her son’s opinion is the decisive argument for Mary. After all, she isn’t just looking for a man for herself; she’s looking for a father for Johnny first and foremost. Yes, he’s grown, but the boy needs a father. That’s what she thinks, and the boy wants his mother to be happy. So, they discuss candidates. So far, not a single one has been suitable. They’ve almost lost hope. Mary shudders just thinking about the day her son will move away from her. That will be later, but now she needs to figure out what’s bothering the boy.

“What are you thinking about, Johnny?” his mom cautiously asks.

“Oh, nothing,” the boy answers calmly, putting his hands in his hoodie pockets without realizing it. As he always does when he’s nervous.

“Tell me, you know you can’t hide anything from me,” Mary smiles slyly.

“I know,” Johnny draws out, as if all his secrets are already revealed.

“Well?” the girl is all attention, ready to listen, but Johnny isn’t ready to speak yet.

“I’m thinking what color bike to buy,” he reluctantly reveals a non-major thought.

“And that made you think so seriously?” Mary expresses slight surprise.

“Yes,” he answers confidently. And he’s not lying. This thought replaces the pondering over a new wish.

“What color bike do you want?”

“Red or blue,” he replies somewhat sadly. He knows these are the best colors, but he’s kind of sick of them.

“Maybe you should choose a different color?”

“Are there any other good colors?”

“Of course, there are! Lots of them.”

“Like what?”

“Green.”

“No,” he grimaces a little, imagining a green sports bike. “I’ll constantly lose it in the grass near the house.”

“Okay, then purple,” Mary hides a smile, suggesting unusual colors.

“That’s a girl’s color.”

“Why do you say that? I didn’t suggest pink.”

“They’re both girl colors.”

“Alright,” Mary smiles, looking at her serious son. “How about black?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know what? It’s a purely masculine color. Or white?”

“Definitely not white. It’ll be dirty all the time,” the boy immediately imagines how often he’d have to wash it.

“That’s true,” Mary knows from experience how much attention white requires. “How about yellow?” she offers, imagining her son riding a sun with wheels.

“All the bugs will fly to it,” Johnny recalls how insects are attracted to yellow cars in the spring and summer.

“Then maybe silver? Or, if they have it, gold?”

“That’d be awesome,” the boy’s eyes light up as he imagines a new bike reflecting the sun’s rays with a shine.

“There, we’ve settled it. We’ll pick one when we get there,” now Mary quietly hopes that the store’s assortment won’t disappoint her son.

“Okay,” Johnny agrees happily. “I just doubt we’ll be lucky.”

“Well, we’ll see what they have, and then we’ll decide,” Mary says cheerfully.

On the way, they run into Mary’s former coworker. They aren’t friends, more like acquaintances. When they need advice, the girls know who they can turn to. It was Annie who suggested cocoa as the main drink in the house. They spot each other from afar. Mary isn’t that emotional, but Annie waves from a distance and smiles a snow-white smile, as if she’s competing in the local “Miss Erswan“ beauty pageant.

She might become the winner if the pageant were held in town. She has practically no competition. There are enough beauties, but only Annie has the time to preen almost all day. The other women in Erswan have families and children; they don’t have the time, they’re always busy. But Annie is only occupied with finding interesting activities to pass the time.

One of these activities has become walking the town streets looking for chance conversational partners. Mary falls into her net, and Johnny with her. A lot of time will be spent on talking. And Mary doesn’t want to offend her. The girl is completely alone here. For some reason, she doesn’t even get a cat, as other people in Erswan often do. It’s hard to understand. On the one hand, she loves solitude. On the other, she strives for people and communication. She dedicates as much time to others in her life as won’t restrict her personal space. It’s interesting to see how all this will turn out for her.

“Hello, darling!” Annie approaches Mary with a quick step. They air-kiss three times without touching cheeks. “And hello to you, little man,” she ruffles Johnny’s hair. The boy immediately fixes his hairstyle and pulls away a bit.

“Hello, Annie,” Mary smiles sweetly at her acquaintance, not showing that this is not the most opportune moment for a friendly chat.

“Where are you two off to?” this girl is interested in everything about everyone.

“We’re going downtown,” Mary replies, not going into detail.

“And why?” with this much interest, Annie won’t detach herself anytime soon.

“We want to buy a bike,” Mary has to reveal the secret to quickly escape the conversation. “They say a new model has arrived.”

“Yes, I heard. Some of the neighborhood kids are already riding the new bikes.”

“Mom, let’s hurry, they’ll sell out,” Johnny barely restrains himself from pulling his mom along.

“Nonsense, son, we’re talking,” Mary herself would run ahead. The obligatory small talk is, as always, ill-timed.

“Yes, Johnny, you’ll make it. Let your mom and me talk,” Annie wags a finger. The boy wants to slightly alter the shape of that finger, but his upbringing doesn’t allow it. “Mary! Did you hear that new people have moved in near us? Further down the street.”

“No, I haven’t heard. Who are they? Are they nice people?”

“I’ve only seen the man so far. Maybe he has a family, of course, but for now, only he is in the house.”

“Why didn’t you introduce yourself?” Mary smiles, noticing her acquaintance’s interest.

“I don’t even know. I was shy, I guess. He’s so... so...” Annie pauses, unable to find the right words to describe him.

“What is he? Interesting?” Mary prompts.

“Yes!” Annie’s eyes light up.

“Dashing?”

“Yes!” she rejoices at another pleasant coincidence in the description.

“Handsome?”

“Yes! I even liked him from a distance,” Annie recalls dreamily.

“Then why are you still here?” Mary subtly hints, finding a valid reason to part ways.

“I don’t know myself! You’re right! I need to run and introduce myself before someone else snaps up my man. I’ll bake my signature cupcakes. He’ll fall in love with me right away,” Annie muses out loud, running away from them toward the new acquaintance.

“Good luck!” Mary shouts after her, encouraging her acquaintance’s enthusiasm and quietly rejoicing at the escape from the untimely conversation.

“Mom,” Johnny looks at Mary in surprise.

“What is it, son?” the girl smiles, calmly continuing their path toward their goal.

“Why don’t you go introduce yourself to him?”

“It seems kind of silly,” Mary shrugs slightly.

“Why silly?” Johnny ponders.

“I don’t know,” Mary thinks, searching for arguments. “The man just moved in, he has a lot to do. He needs to unpack, settle in, rest. He’s probably tired from the road. And the last thing he wants is to meet nosy neighbors.”

“Then why did you send Aunt Annie over there?” Johnny wonders, wrinkling his forehead.

“First of all, he’s in such a state right now that he probably won’t remember her name anyway. Secondly, I didn’t want to spend a wonderful weekend day on pointless conversations. And thirdly, we’re rushing to the store for your new bike! That’s the real ‘first of all’, everything else is secondary,” Mary explains, smiling.

“Yes! Let’s go faster, or they’ll sell out,” the boy hurries his mother.

“They won’t sell out,” Mary assures him, quietly pleased with her clever move.

“You heard Aunt Annie, though. Lots of the neighborhood kids are already riding them. And we’re still walking. It’s still about fifteen minutes to the store.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll get a bike,” his mom reassures him, involuntarily fearing they might not make it in time.

“Okay. Just let’s walk faster.”

“Okay, okay,” the girl still tries not to turn the walk into a run.

Johnny and Mary speed up their pace. They pass a couple of blocks. And at the beginning of the third, they see a moving van by the sidewalk. It’s half-filled with boxes. The other half, apparently, has been carried in by the new resident Annie was talking about. The man steps outside as Mary and Johnny walk past. He smiles politely but doesn’t strike up a neighborhood chat, lest they think he’s a nosy neighbor. And Mary doesn’t pay him too much attention, either. Johnny notices that a flicker of interest crosses their eyes. He stays silent, too. But a military airplane model catches his interest.

“That’s hard to miss,” the new neighbor smiles knowingly, stepping closer.

“Yes, you’re right. It’s beautiful,” Johnny agrees, not taking his eyes off the model, which is about his size. “P–51B Mustang?”

“Yes, that’s the one,” the man confirms with a smile. “Do you know about planes?”

“A little. I’m interested in military models,” the boy examines the plane.

“I understand. Powerful, intimidating, and serious. I see you’re serious, too, like a military plane.”

“Yes, he’s a serious young man,” Mary proudly supports him.

“That’s evident, Missus,” the new neighbor says politely.

“Miss,” the girl corrects him.

“My apologies,” he hides his pleasant surprise behind slight embarrassment.

“No need,” Mary smiles courteously.

“David Verse,” the man holds out his hand.

“Mary Syden,” the girl flirts lightly as she returns the handshake.

“It’s nice to meet you,” David gently shakes her hand.

“Johnny Syden,” the serious boy holds out his hand, too.

“Pleased to meet you, Sir,” David returns the handshake with an equally serious face.

“So, you’re our new neighbor?” the boy voices.

“Yes. That would be me. Have you already heard about me?” he shows slight surprise.

“We have. Miss Annie will be coming over soon with cupcakes,” Johnny warns him.

“Really? With cupcakes?” David smiles.

“Her signature ones,” the boy adds importantly, smirking.

“Johnny!” Mary stops her son before he says too much. “Don’t poke your nose into other people’s business.”

“Nonsense, Miss. Now it’s our shared business. We’re neighbors now, I take it?”

“Yes, you understand correctly. We live two blocks away from you.”

“That’s wonderful!” the man openly rejoices.

“Why?” Mary asks reservedly.

“I came alone. I barely know anyone here. And I have no one to launch this powerful beauty with,” he gestures toward the plane model that caught Johnny’s attention. “If you allow it, Johnny can keep me company.”

“Can I, Mom?” Johnny looks at her with a gaze his mother can’t resist.

“I don’t know,” Mary thinks, looking from her son to the model, then to David.

“Please, Mom!” Johnny tugs at her arm. “Oh, please!”

“Alright! Just make sure you don’t bother Mr. Verse.”

“It’s a deal! When’s the first flight?” Johnny looks eager.

“A brave fighter, indeed,” David says slowly. “Sees the plane and immediately rushes into battle!” he smiles, seeing such enthusiasm from the boy.

“Johnny, we had an agreement,” Mary soothes him.

“Yes, sorry,” the boy’s fever cools slightly.

“Give me a couple of days to unload my stuff and settle the house, and then we’ll fly,” David gestures toward the van.

“Deal,” the boy reluctantly agrees, understanding that he’ll have to wait.

“If you want, you can help me. Then the day of flying will come twice as fast.”

“Okay! What needs to be done?” Johnny immediately approaches the van, ready to help.

“Now that’s dedication,” David marvels.

“Johnny, we’re going to the store,” Mary reminds him, surprised.

“Oh, right,” he forgot about the bike, looking at the plane model. “What do we do now?”

“I don’t know. That’s up to you, you’re grown up now,” Mary answers seriously.

“Okay. Then we’ll stay here and help Mr. Verse.”

“Really? Are you sure?” Mary looks intently into her son’s eyes.

“I’m sure!” the boy firmly insists on his decision.

“What if all the bikes sell out?” his mom reminds him of his worst fear.

“They’ll bring in more later,” Johnny’s fears have vanished.

“Well, help Mr. Verse, and I’ll go home,” Mary says, disappointed. She was even more set on buying the bike than Johnny was. She wanted so much to make her son happy and spend the day with him.

“Nonsense! Why go home?” David stops her. “Do you have some urgent business there?”

“Well, not exactly urgent,” Mary muses. “I have a couple of things to do.”

“Won’t they wait?”

“They’ll wait,” the girl smiles lightly, hoping to salvage the time with her son.

“That’s great!” David is pleased. “In that case, stay with us.”

“Are you sure?” the girl doesn’t want to seem intrusive. And planes don’t excite her as much as they do Johnny.

“Absolutely sure! There’s enough work for everyone.”

“Stay, Mom!” Johnny persuades her.

“Won’t I be in the way of your male company?”

“Not at all! Ladies always brighten up any company. Especially beautiful ones like you,” he gives her a light compliment. “And when there’s work that men don’t want to do,” David and Johnny exchange glances and smile slyly.

“Oh, really?” Mary narrows her eyes at both of them.

“I told you, we have a lot of work, and you’re welcome here,” everyone laughs.

“Then let’s get to it,” Mary decides, her voice full of readiness. “Where do we start?”

“Johnny will hand me those boxes now,” David points to boxes labeled ‘kitchen’. “We’ll take them to the designated spot, and you can arrange everything there.”

“Alright, it’s a deal,” Mary is ready to help her neighbor move, as long as her son has a good day. And the girl is happy, too. It’s almost like her own move. And changes like this bring pleasure.

Johnny deftly climbs into the van using the three-step ladder. David indicates the boxes he needs to take out. The boy thinks about how to do it. A minute later, the boxes are in David’s strong hands. The new neighbor takes the larger box, and the boy takes the smaller one. He wanted to take one just as big but didn’t dare risk someone else’s belongings in case he might drop it.

Mary follows David and finds herself in the kitchen. It isn’t as spacious as theirs, but it’s quite cozy. She likes it here. She even shares her pleasant impressions with the homeowner. The men bring in the boxes. They open them immediately so Mary doesn’t have to struggle.

David and Johnny go for the rest of the boxes, while the girl gets busy cleaning the kitchen. The house had been for sale for a long time. The dust of waiting had settled. Everything is clean and ready for new residents to move in. She unpacks the kitchen utensils. There are more than she thought. Mary isn’t timid. Not knowing David’s preferences, she arranges everything just like in their kitchen. When all the boxes are distributed to their places in the house, the owner steps into his new kitchen. Mary shows him where everything is. He seems to remember it uncertainly.

The boys help Mary clean the rest of the house. Together they unpack boxes and put everything in its place. While David and Mary finish arranging things, Johnny goes grocery shopping at the nearest store, a block away. He buys everything for sandwiches. The temptation turns out to be so great that the boy gives in to the urge and buys everyone lemonade.

Mary prepares ham and cheese sandwiches, garnishes them with lettuce leaves, and serves them on a large platter. They settle comfortably in wooden folding chairs in the backyard, enjoying the work they’ve done and feeling proud of themselves. Today, the sandwiches with lemonade seem like the most delicious things they’ve ever eaten.

In David’s backyard, everything is just as overgrown with grass as it is at Mary and Johnny’s. The girl says nothing about it, knowing the boy’s feelings about lawns. But David, unaware of this, offers to let the boy help him tomorrow. Johnny agrees, much to Mary’s surprise, and with enthusiasm, at that. Perhaps the boy’s aversion only applies to their own lawn. Whatever the case, tomorrow he and David will tidy up the small jungle in Erswan.

They unloaded and arranged all the belongings, ate all the sandwiches, drank all the lemonade, and talked about various topics while sitting in the backyard. Meanwhile, the sunset is approaching. They watch the colorful sky. Everyone enjoyed today. They get ready to leave. The doorbell rings. David opens the door. Annie is standing on the doorstep with her signature cupcakes in chocolate glaze. You should have seen the look and facial expression that replaced the friendly smile she had prepared for the new man in town. Mary looks at her acquaintance, slightly flustered. She regains her composure. She takes Johnny home.

“Thanks for the pleasant company,” Mary thanks David, walking past Annie, whose face clearly shows a desire to kill her.

“Thank you for the help. I’ll see you tomorrow,” David sees them off with a smile, not feeling awkward about the new cupcake-bearing neighbor.

“Have a nice evening, Annie,” Mary says sincerely, but everyone seems to take the words as mockery. The guest with the cupcakes gets even angrier, hearing and seeing the reaction. David barely holds back his laughter.

“Thank you, Mary,” Annie manages to articulate through teeth clenched with anger, trying to keep a smile on her face. Everyone holds back, except Johnny. The boy finally bursts out laughing. They leave before things get worse. They walk slowly. It’s interesting to see what happens next.

“Good evening,” Annie tries to speak in a sweet voice, but the irritation doesn’t disappear.

“Good evening. What do I owe the pleasure?” David remains composed.

“I baked my signature cupcakes for you,” she offers the basket.

“That’s so kind of you, but I don’t eat sweets,” David shrugs.

“Fine, then!” Annie snaps, nervously throwing the basket of cupcakes right onto David’s doorstep. “Who cares!” she throws the phrase in the new resident’s face. She turns sharply, making her sundress billow out. She stomps off home, angry.

“Have a pleasant evening,” David waves with a smile.

“Go to hell!” she maliciously waves him off without turning around. Mary and Johnny burst out laughing, watching the scene. David laughs, too.

“Once again, thank you so much for the help. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“We’ll definitely come,” Mary replies cheerfully. They walk down the street at a strolling pace toward their house. Stable smiles remain on the faces of both mother and son.