Ian Shaw looked taken aback for a moment, then said pitifully, "I don't want to sleep in the little bed. I want Mommy to tell me a story."
Ethan Shaw's expression grew a bit sterner, but his voice remained gentle. "Ian, you're a little man, aren't you? Daddy believes a little man can certainly sleep by himself, right? Besides, even if you sleep in the little bed, Mommy and Daddy can still tell you a story."
Ian Shaw's big eyes blinked, welling up with tears. He shook his head. "But I'm scared to sleep in the little bed. It gets so dark here at night, and there's no light. How about you sleep in the little bed, Daddy? You're so brave..."
Ethan Shaw glanced at the one-meter-long cot in the distance, feeling both amused and exasperated.
[I wonder if Ian is saying that on purpose. I'm dying! There's no way his dad can fit in that bed! It's more than big enough for Ian, though.]
