"Of course honey, but first go brush your teeth and let me help Mummy with the dishes, alright?" I smiled at Hanna, my seven-years-old daughter.
She was a bright kid, parfectly able to read her books herself, but she still preferred to have the bedtime story read to her by either me or Monica, who now leaned over the table and pecked me on my lips, scattering my thoughts.
"Thanks, but I'm fine here, Josh. You cooked, I'll clean up. If you won't take too long, and I won't fall asleep before the little monkey," she said, nodding towards the corridor where Hanna had disappeared, "we can watch that movie you told me about..."
"Don't you dare falling asleep before I come back." I told her, trying to suppress a smile.
I laced my fingers through her hair and pulled her in for a proper kiss, as Hanna appeared in the doorway again, barefooted, wearing her pink nightdress and carrying a huge teddy bear in her arms, before our lips could touch.
"Daddy! Come on, we're ready."
"Go Dad!" Monica teased when she heard me sigh, brushing her lips against mine even as Hanna ran to us and pressed a loud kiss on her cheek.
"Good night, honey," Monica told her, standing up and collecting the dishes.
Standing up too I raised a playful eyebrow at Hanna, who was demanding to be carried to bed now by jumping at my feet, her free hand pulling at my shirt to make me bend down. I grinned, and she giggled in response before I gathered her and Charlie, her favourite teddy bear, in my arms, and threw them both over my shoulder, making her squeal with delight.
"So, what shall we read tonight?" I asked, switching on the reading light in her room before depositing her on the bed.
"They gave us this book at school today." She said, taking an illustrated booklet from her bedside table.
"Hmm... at least we haven't read this one yet..." I said somewhat dubiously, unconvinced by its looks, as I skimmed through the description at the back. Climate change? Weren't seven-years-old children a little too young for that?
"True." She smiled. "You said you were bored of my princesses, Daddy, remember?"
"Oh, I was just joking, you know that, right? I'll be happy to read any book you choose, Hanna," I said, laying down next to her.
"I want to read this one tonight." She assured me.
"All right," I said, opening the book on the first page even as she leaned her head against my shoulder, looking at the pictures. "There was once a land where the weather was very, very strange." I started reading. "There were awful heatwaves and terrible storms and floods..."
"Why?" Hanna asked, raising her blue eyes to meet mine.
"Wait, I'm sure we will find out soon enough if you just let me read on." I smiled as she nodded seriously, looking inside the book again.
"Some places have even disappeared under the sea..."
"But why?" She repeated even as I was starting to think that this tale was taking a rather dark turn a little too fast.
"Because there was suddenly too much water. The icebergs had melted." I gave her my opinion.
"How?" She demanded, not satisfied with my explanation, yawning.
I shook my head, not quite sure what to tell her, and continued reading, "The scientists said it was being caused by too much Co2 which went up into the sky. They said it was getting dangerous, and it would be the children who would have to live with the consequences..." I let my voice trail off, noticing that Hanna was already drifting off to sleep.
I read a few more lines to myself, realising that the story was getting darker with each syllable. It was... sad... I shook my head, setting the book back on the bedside table and tried to stand up without waking her.
But as I switched off her light, Hanna mumbled, "Does the story have a happy ending, Daddy?"
"It does of course..." I assured my daughter hovering on the verge of sleep. "Realising what they have done to the world they were supposed to preserve for their children, all the mums and dads on the planet started to use... only electrical cars. They stopped producing plastic and... built only those kinds of factories which did not pollute the air. Also, they only used as much water as they really needed. And soon enough, the world became cleaner, and safer, and there were more fish living in the oceans and birds flying through the air..."
I finished my whispered story as I reached the bedroom's door, convinced she did not hear any of it.
"Thanks, Daddy," she mumbled as I walked out, leaving the door ajar. "It was a beautiful happy ending."
It was, I thought. But was it feasible, too?
I hoped, for Hanna, and for all the other children living in this world that it was, that if we all joined our efforts, did our little part, we would be able to preserve this planet for them, and their children...
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This story was written for Imagine this... , prompt 5. Sorry, I went over the word count with this one 🙈
