Mira reached toward the bedroom door, then pulled her hand back. Voices and laughter drifted along the hallway. Above her pillow, a soap bubble floated from her thought bubble, shimmering with a tiny, confident Mira inside. “Who are you?” she whispered.
Mira leaned close to the thought bubble. Inside, dream-Mira strode across a moonlit garden, waved to sparkling stars, and sang one bright note. Pop! The note burst into silver confetti. Mira’s shy smile appeared, then vanished behind her sleeve.
Mira lifted one finger toward the bubble. Dream-Mira lifted one finger too. Together they tried a bold wave, a clear greeting, and a grand twirl. The bubble wobbled—wobble, wobble, wobble! On the third twirl, a tiny shoe flew off and bonked a floating cloud. Mira giggled.
Mira took one step toward the bedroom door. “I’m coming!” she called. The thought bubble flickered. Dream-Mira pointed toward Mira’s reflection in the dark window, while hallway light spilled across Mira’s slippers.
The hallway answered with a cheerful, “Come on!” Mira’s hand found the doorknob. She turned it slowly, listening as the latch clicked. In the window, her reflection lifted its hand beside her.
Mira opened the door and raised one small wave. For a moment, her hand hovered there. Then someone in the bright hallway waved back. Mira kept her hand up, fingers steady beneath the golden light.
Behind Mira, the thought bubble dissolved into glittering specks. Dream-Mira’s bright smile lingered for one last instant, then scattered across the pillow like tiny stars. Mira turned toward the hallway.
Mira walked into the bright hallway with the same steady smile dream-Mira had worn. Her wave remained raised. Behind her, the last silver speck winked out beside the pillow, and the open door filled the room with gold.
