". . .I did this jump and it was amazing, and I slid under a car and it was awesome!" Jamie's voice echoes down the hall to where you're sorting laundry. "Then I was flying down this hill and was like whoosh whoosh whoosh through all these cars, and then the sled hit this...this thing, and I was like way up in the air!"

You abandon trying to find Sophie's favorite stuffed animal and walk down the hall curiously. You lean against the doorframe of Jamie's room silently and smile when you see him standing on his bed, mesmerizing Sophie with his story and the way he's flying his robot light through the air. Abby is just as attentive from where she lays on the ground, ears perked and head tilted in curiosity at her owner's excitement.

"—and then BAM! The sofa hit me, and—and see?" Jamie pulls up his lip so Sophie can see the brand new gap in his teeth. "Mah tooth ca- ou!"

Sophie giggles and reaches up, trying to stick her finger into his mouth. You giggle at the two siblings and step into the room. "Sounds like Jack Frost decided to have a bit of fun with you!" As, you know for a fact he did.

Jamie screws his face up in confusion. "Who's Jack Frost?"

You wiggle your eyebrows teasingly and whisper: "Let me go put Sophe to bed, and I'll tell you." He grins and nods his head enthusiastically. "Okay, lay down and I'll be in in a minute. Come on, Sophie!"

You reach down and take Sophie into your arms, carrying her down the hall to her room. After making sure she brushes her teeth, you extract her fluffy pink fairy wings and lay her down softly. She yawns and you smile fondly as you pull the covers up to her chin. She's the cutest. You sing to her softly for a few minutes until her head lulls to the side, fast asleep.

Your heart warms at the sight and you lean forward to brush her bangs out of her face and kiss her forehead. "Good night, sweetheart."

Then you stand up and, after making sure her night light is on, pad quietly out of her room and close the door over behind you. You smile at the little fairy hanging on the front of her door and sigh happily. You can't wait to tell Jamie about Jack. Hopefully, the kid who believes in everything will believe in him.

But when you get to the eldest Bennet's room, he is fast asleep in bed. The flashlight he was going to use to stay up and find the Tooth Fairy is on his bedside table, casting a spot of light on the wall. Your heart sinks, but you shake off the twinge of sadness just as quickly as it came, trying not to dwell on your missed opportunity. You walk over to the bed as quietly as you can and turn off the flashlight. Then, you carefully take the container with Jamie's tooth off of his bedside table and tuck it carefully under his pillow. You know she'll probably see it on the table, but being cautious never hurts anyone. Especially a little boy who is expecting to wake up with a coin from the Tooth Fairy tomorrow.

And yes, you do still believe in the Tooth Fairy. And yes, you have been talking about Jack Frost like it's no big deal.

You've believed in all of them ever since you can remember: Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, etc. For some reason, unlike all of the other kids your age, the belief never left you. You're sixteen years-old, almost seventeen, and yet you still pray to the Sandman for good dreams every night.

Most nights, you certainly need them.

Two years ago, you met Jack Frost. You were a fourteen-year-old girl going through a trying time in your life, and you found him. Well, more like he found you. The two of you have been best friends ever since, practically inseparable save for when the summers get to hot. You've done your best to find him more believers, and he's done all he can to . . . chase the darkness away.

You've lived in Burgess your whole life, but just this year you've started babysitting for the Bennet's and some of the other neighborhood kids. They're all so good, though they do play their fair share of pranks, and you have high hopes for getting them to believe in Jack. Maybe on Easter, when the air is filled with hope and they're all thinking about the Easter Bunny, you'll break out a story.

Jamie's the most promising of the bunch, in your opinion. His whole room is decorated with drawings and photographs and books of creatures of the unknown. He would make a good second-believer for Jack.

Smiling at the notion, you kiss Jamie's hair softly just as you did his sister's. You make sure to close his bedroom door quietly behind you and pick up the laundry basket waiting for you in the hallway. You walk back to the laundry room and set it on the counter to do once the load you already put in is finished.

Abby is laying outside Sophie's door, and you pat your leg softly to get her to follow you downstairs. Once you make your way down, you're surprised to see Mrs. Bennet standing at the kitchen sink doing the dishes. "You're home early," you greet.

She jumps at your voice, and you smile teasingly. "(y/n)!" Despite her semi-scolding tone, her eyes are twinkling behind her glasses. "How were the kids?"

"Wonderful, as usual," you reply, smiling. You walk toward her and start drying the dishes that she's washed. "They're never a problem, Mrs. Bennet."

"Well, thank you," she sighs. The two of you finish the dishes in silence and, once you're done, she slips a twenty dollar bill into your hand. You open your mouth to protest but she interrupts you before you can: "Keep it," she insists, closing your hand around the money. "You're so good with the kids, (y/n), I couldn't ask for a better person to look after them."

Your cheeks flush at the compliment and you smile, looking down at your shoes. "Thank you, Mrs. Bennet. And call me any time you need. It's not like I'm doing anything." The both of you laugh, but when you glance up at the clock in the middle of the kitchen, your face falls. It's getting pretty late. "I should probably get home."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay the night?"

You freeze halfway to the door, tilting your head to the side to let Mrs. Bennet know you heard her. It's common knowledge around Burgess what your parents are like. They've been gone for weeks, and just arrived home again last night from who knows what business trip. As much as you'd love to ignore them further, you've already stayed with the Bennet's twice this week.

It's time to face the music. "I'm sure. Thank you so much for the offer, though," you reply without turning around.

"Of course, sweetheart. You know you're always welcome." You lean down and pull on your boots, heart warming at Mrs. Bennet's kindness. Just as you're tugging on your hat, she yells from the kitchen: "Make sure you remember your hat! Wouldn't want Jack Frost nipping at your nose."

You smirk to yourself and pull on your gloves. She has no idea.