A heavy wooden door creaked open at the garden's edge. A small boy in a blue velvet coat tumbled through, landing right in the roses.
Lira hovered above a sunflower and tilted her head. Petals drifted down onto his shoulders like a soft pink snow.
Lira darted down and offered her hand. The boy stood, brushed dirt from his knees, and said, "I can't find the door."
A butterfly landed on his nose. He sneezed — Achoo! — and petals flew everywhere.
Lira pointed north, but a tall hedge blocked the way. A burr stuck to his sock. She led him through a tunnel of ivy.
Suddenly the path opened into a wide meadow. The boy smiled, his scuffed shoe tapping against the grass.
Lira flew up and peeked over the hedge. Beyond it stood a golden castle, and a line of guards waited at the gate.
The boy gasped and pulled a paper crown from his pocket. He held it up, and it glittered like a tiny star.
The boy waved from the castle steps. The guards carried him inside.
Lira landed on a rose stem and watched him go.
She nudged a fallen petal toward the door. As if sending a gift along.
The petal drifted on the breeze toward the castle, carried by the golden light.