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Hello friends, and welcome to sleept Stories. Jessie is in bed and thinking because this is when she gets her best ideas. Right before sleep, she asks her father if they can visit some places that they have read about. They discuss which places she would like to visit and where she would go first. And then Jessie closes her eyes to dream. Jessie's Portal Jessie had been in bed for exactly four minutes when she decided she was not even a little bit tired. She could hear her father in the hallway, the familiar sound of him checking on things before the house got quiet. She waited until his shadow appeared in the doorway. Daddy, you're supposed to be sleeping. I know, but I have a question first. He came in and sat on the edge of the bed the way he always did, which made the mattress dip just right. One question. Can we travel to faraway places soon like in the books you read me at night? People in those books go to Japan and China and Australia and England and Vancouver too. You told me once we went there, but I was too small to remember. That sounds like a wonderful idea. Though it might be hard to go to all of them at once. Yeah. Jesse thought about this. I guess the plane ride would take longer than driving to Nana's house and that's already too long. Even driving to the beach feels like a long trip to me. When you really want to get somewhere, almost any trip can feel like a journey. Jesse was quiet for a moment. She often had her best ideas right before bed. Daddy, do you remember that story you read me? The really hard one. You said it was hard, but I didn't think it was hard. I thought it was easy. You used that special voice. Her father pretended to think very hard about this. I better tell you because I know grown up memories are not as good as kids memories. In that story there was a girl who found a magical book with maps and stories inside and the book led her to a magical portal and she stepped through it and went somewhere far away. Jesse looked at him. Do you think we could do that? Open a magic portal? Yeah. You could move around some stuff in the living room. I could help because my gym teacher says I am really strong. And then you could activate the portal and you and me and Mommy could walk through and be somewhere else. Like Japan? Yeah. So instead of having spaghetti tomorrow for dinner, we could walk through the portal and have sushi in Japan instead. I love spaghetti though, her father said. Me too. But maybe we could go to Japan on a different night. A bean night. Jessie reached up and took hold of her father's ear he had big ears, which was very convenient, and pulled him close so she could whisper. Don't tell Mommy, but beans are not my favorite. Her father whispered back. I won't tell her. And I happen to know she loves sushi, so she probably won't mind skipping the beans for a night in Japan. Good. And then for dessert. Jesse let go of his ear and looked up at the ceiling, thinking. I bet they make really nice cookies in Australia. We could go there after and maybe see some of the animals while we're at it. That does sound like a good use of a portal. Or maybe Italy. Or England. She looked at him. Do they have nice desserts in England, Daddy? I think they must. I honestly don't know for sure. Yeah, they probably have all kinds of nice ones there. She yawned, which she hadn't been expecting. We could try all of them. Here's what I think, her father said, and he pulled the blanket up a little. I think you should close your eyes and let your imagination take you. You can go wherever you want tonight. Japan, Australia, England. Anywhere. And tomorrow at breakfast, you can tell us all about it. That's a good idea, Jesse said, and she meant it. I get my best ideas when I sleep, and right before bed and first thing in the morning. You really do, Daddy. Mm. Maybe tonight I'll dream up a place we've never even heard of. Maybe you will, he said. That's the good thing about imagination. It doesn't need a portal. She thought about that for a second, her eyes already heavy. Give me a great big hug. He did. Night, Daddy. Good night, little one. He turned off the light, and she lay there in the quiet, thinking about Japan and cookies and animals she hadn't seen yet. And somewhere in the middle of it all, between one thought and the next, she was gone. And that is the end of our story. Good night. Sleep tight.