Come on, Gabbie," Sophie said, "into bed."

Sophie reached down to pick up her four year old daughter, but Gabrielle danced away, twirling her nightgown like a ball gown and giggling. "I don't wanna go to bed!"

"Sweetie, it's past your bedtime, let's go."

"Will you tell me a story?"

"Which one would you like?"

Gabrielle jumped onto her bed and scrambled under the sheets. "I want to hear Ali's story!"

"Alright, Ali it is," Sophie said.

"You're still telling that story?" A voice said from the door.

Sophie smiled and twisted to see her eight year old son standing in his sister's doorway.

"What's the matter, Max, you don't like it anymore?" she asked.

"Please, Mom, she's just a story," Max said.

"Alright, then you can go back to your room and have Dad read you a big boy story," Sophie said.

"Well," Max said, "Maybe I could just hear it one more time."

Sophie smiled knowingly and waited for Max to clamber up on the bed next to his sister before beginning. "Her name is Ali and she, along with her Greek friend, Hermes, protect the people of our world. She is sweet and playful. But, even though she loves to have fun, she doesn't forget the duties she has to the rest of the world. She's always there for you if you need her, always willing to help. And you know, they say, that on clear nights when the moon is shining brightly, you can hear the sound of her laughing and playing with her friends."

"How come I've never heard her?" Max asked, skeptical again.

"That's because you weren't listening," Sophie answered.

Gabbie pushed the covers off of her and moved over to her open window, leaning out. Sophie followed her and placed two hands on her daughter's thin shoulders. "Hear anything yet?"

Gabbie narrowed her eyes, obviously straining to hear something. Suddenly, a quiet, bell-like laugh rose into the night air.

"I heard her, I heard her!" Gabbie exclaimed in joy.

"Me too!" Max exclaimed, his eyes wide in surprise.

Sophie smiled. "Now how about getting to bed, like you promised."

Gabbie pulled away from the window, planted a kiss on Sophie's cheek and hopped back into bed. Max gave Sophie a kiss too before leaving his sister's room to return to his room down the hall. Sophie walked over to Gabbie's bed and pulled the covers up to her chin.

"Good night, sweetie," Sophie said, kissing her daughter's forehead.

"Good night, Mommy," Gabbie said, her eyes already closed.

Sophie straightened and walked to the door. When she reached it, with her hand on the light switch, she took one last look out the window. And she could have sworn that she saw, in the light of the full moon, a young girl's outline, hair blowing in the wind.