Leon's lost cuddly toy

It was bedtime at Leon's house. Bath done, teeth brushed, star pajamas buttoned all the way up. All that was missing was Pompom, the soft little rabbit with slightly chewed ears.

Leon looked under his pillow. No Pompom. He looked at the foot of the bed. No Pompom there either. "Where are you, Pompom?" he whispered, and his lip started to wobble.

Dad came in with a flashlight. "We'll find him," he said. "Pompom never goes far." They looked in the toy box, between the red truck and the wooden blocks. "Where are you, Pompom?" The toy box didn't answer.

They looked in the bathroom, behind the plastic duck and the big yellow towel. "Where are you, Pompom?" There were still bubbles in the tub, but no rabbit.

Then Leon remembered. At snack time, he had given Pompom a cookie crumb, sitting on the kitchen chair. Leon and Dad tiptoed downstairs. Under the table, lying on the rug, Pompom was waiting, a crumb stuck to one ear.

Leon hugged him tight. Pompom smelled of cookie and a little bit of home. Dad picked off the crumb, and they climbed back up the stairs, one step and then another, without a sound.

In bed, Leon tucked Pompom into his usual spot, in the crook of his neck. "There you are," he murmured. Dad switched off the flashlight. Pompom's ears were warm against his nose, and Leon closed his eyes without even noticing.