Mira drags her red cape across the rug. She slams a yellow block down. 'King!' she announces to the empty room. The block wobbles but holds.
She stacks two blue blocks on top, then three green ones. Her tongue pokes out in concentration. The tower grows taller than her elbow.
A sudden gust from the window blows the top red block off. It rolls under the sofa. Mira gasps, dropping the remaining stack. Crinkle—crash goes the tower.
Mira crawls on her belly, stretching her arm into the dark gap. Her fingers brush something soft and furry. A tiny mouse peeks out from behind a loose floorboard.
The mouse nudges the red block toward her with its nose. Mira grabs it and places it back on her rebuilt tower. She smiles, patting the mouse's head gently.
She pats the mouse's head. The mouse blinks slowly, then scurries back behind the floorboard.
Mira builds the tower higher again, adding blue and green blocks. The red block sits proudly on top.
She steps back to admire her work. The tower stands tall and steady. 'Good job, King,' she whispers.
