Kayo lives in a 2-story semi-detached house with her parents. She was at an age where she spent most of her time having tea parties with her teddy bears and her imaginary friend. One day, her imaginary friend stopped co-operating with her toys which broke her heart.

It all started with a broken trophy

"Tunusha,"

Plodding up the stairs like a mini group of teenagers, her daughter peeked at her through the white railing, like a prisoner staring at her jail cell. "Yes, Mum?"

"how did you break your one and only judo trophy,"

"Emily did it, Mom."

"Emily? Really? Don't lie to me, young lady."

"Really, Mom. She said she wanted to know what kind of sound it would make."

Ohana folded her arms across her chest. "Imaginary friends can't knock over trophies."

"Emily isn't imaginary, Mum." Kayo whole tiny face wrinkled as she frowned. "She doesn't like when you say that."

"Well then, maybe she should be the one to clean up this mess?" Ohana asked angrily

Kayo looked to a spot just below her on the stairs. "She says she doesn't want to," her daughter answered strictly with a frown.

"Well, that's perfect,"

"Kayo that's not nice." Kyranno paused. "You should clean it up. You can't just go around smashing things all day."

"It's fine. I'll get it. But you let your friend know that any other items I find smashed will get you in trouble, since I can't punish her. Do you both understand?"

"Yes, Mum."

Ohano walked into the kitchen and found a dustpan from the wardrobe. In one hand and the trash can in the other, she spun on her heel and headed back to the living room and the broken trophy, mumbling things she wouldn't say aloud in front of her daughter, even though her mother said it to her when she was his age.

She pushed her shoulder against the swinging door.

"What the–?"

Ohano saw the broken two trophies which her father got Kayo for a present hovering over the end of the table in the bedroom. The garbage can and dustpan all shattered on the floor, as she raised her hands towards the trophy. She took a cautious step forward.

She had no idea what would happen when she tries to grab it. Somehow prove to herself it wasn't floating in the air.

"Kayo put it down," Kyranno said all muffled.

She still sat on the same step where she'd been a moment ago. Her fingers wound tight around the wood railing, making her knuckles purple. Her head was down, hiding her face with her hair, refusing to look.

"You're going to get us in trouble."

Ohano was still a few feet from grabbing hold of the trophy–whether that proved to be a good idea or not–when it bounced and shot through the air past her. She covered herself with her arms, and it smashed against the wall next the Kayos door.

At least now they match again, she thought without humour.

Kyranno flinched and continued to whimper.

Ohano was speechless for a moment, staring at one trophy, then the other in bits, then her crying daughter on the stairs. "Go to your room," she said, her voice flat and calmer than she felt.

Kayo jumped up and disappeared up the stairs, no stomping, no words.

Ohano heard a creak of floorboards near the end of the table, only a few feet from her though she hadn't moved. The bottom step screeched a moment later.

Noisy old houses, Kayo told herself without conviction.

Falling to the couch with a whoosh of sinking cushion, she shuddered out an exhalation. She ran shaky hands back through her hair and tried to deny what she had just seen. It was impossible.

Kyranno entered Kayos bedroom as she had moved to her bed "what's your imaginary friend like? was she good?"

Kayo was surprised about what her father had asked her after how mad he was "she's nice, he names Emily, we play tea parties nearly every day when I don't have kindergarten or when you and mum arnt at work"

"that's nice, do you have any other imaginary friends?"

"no just one, otherwise Mr Bear will feel left out with lots of girls with him,"

Kyranno laughed as he felt like a kid again having father daughter time.

After about an hour of cleaning up Kayo sat in shock. The tools meant to clean the original mess waited in a tangled heap, and both trophies lay broken on the floor. Ohano began to wonder whether an imaginary friend was a healthy thing for her daughter, or anyone else in her house.