One golden evening, Mia stood at the bottom of the little green hill behind the house. At the very top waved a tall sunflower, nodding in the breeze like it was saying hello.
"Can we walk up to the sunflower?" Mia asked. "It looks so far."
Mom smiled. "One small step at a time," she said, and held out her hand.
So Mia took the first step. Past the mossy rock shaped like a sleepy turtle, she went. "Hello, turtle rock," Mia whispered, and gave it a pat. The hill felt steeper now, and her legs felt small.
"I don't think I can," Mia said, looking up.
"Just to the next flower," said Mom. So Mia walked to the next flower. Then to the next stone. Then past a fuzzy bumblebee humming in the clover. Step by little step, the top came closer.
And then—there she was! Right beside the tall sunflower, she could see the whole world below: the tiny house, the winding path, the pond like a shiny coin. Mia had done the too-big thing all the way up.
"I climbed it!" Mia laughed, reaching up to touch a soft golden petal. The sunflower nodded, as if it were proud too.
They rested a moment while the sky turned peachy-pink. Then it was time to head home for bed.
Down the hill they went, and there again was the mossy rock shaped like a sleepy turtle. "Goodnight, turtle rock," Mia said, giving it one last pat. Going down felt easy now, like her feet already knew the way.
Back through the little gate, back to the warm yellow window, back to bed. Mom tucked the blanket up under her chin.
"Tomorrow," Mia murmured, "maybe I'll walk even farther."
"I think you will," said Mom.
And Mia closed her eyes and dreamed of a tall sunflower nodding on a little green hill, waiting to say hello again.