This morning as I brushed her hair, my daughter whispered that her friend Olivia had told her a big secret this weekend and that no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn’t tell me what it was.  I sort of freaked out a bit here.  You can imagine the things that were going through my mind that Olivia had shared with her in secret.  I continued to brush her tangles and carefully chose my next words.

“Honey, you can’t have secrets from Mommy and Daddy.  I know sometimes it is hard to tell us everything, but if Olivia told you something and didn’t want you to tell us, it really is best if we know.”

“I am so worried that she’ll be disappointed in me.  Promise you won’t tell her I told you.”

“I can’t promise I won’t tell her, but I can promise that telling me won’t hurt anyone.”

“Okay Mommy…..Olivia is a vampire, a real one.”  she told me with sincerity.  I thought about laughing, but her serious tone told me this just wasn’t the time to laugh.

“Honey?  How does Olivia eat, does she drink people’s blood?”

” No Mommy, she drinks her own blood.  Like this.” A put her wrist to her mouth and pretended to bite herself.

“I know she convinced you she is, but I honestly don’t believe Olivia is a vampire.”

“That makes me so happy Mommy, because vampires scare me.”

“They scare me too.”