[ TT ] The journey never ends . The same hero is constantly caught in the cycle of leaving for an adventure , having their adventure , settling down , and being forced to leave again .

`` Do you understand?'' Mommy said. 
 
 Of course I did, `` we're going to play pretend'', I said. 
 
 Mommy smiled, `` and what's the first rule of playing pretend?'' 
 
 I knew the answer, `` do n't tell anyone!'' 
 
 Granny was sitting in the back of the room, smiling at me. 
 
 `` Why wo n't daddy play pretend with us?'' I asked. 
 
 Mommy did n't like that question, she did n't say but I could tell. `` Daddy is going to play pretend with us some other time, okay? Now remember the first rule!'' 
 
 `` Do n't tell anyone!'' I shouted as I raised my arms in the sky. 
 
 `` He's here,'' granny said. 
 
 Mommy smiled at me, `` okay, time to play, just like we practised, okay?'' 
 
 She kept repeated that, but I knew what to do. `` Yeah, yeah,'' I said. I quickly ran to my doll house to'pretend' play with it. But I was n't really sure what it meant to'pretend' to play, I only knew it was n't the same as playing. So I move the dolls around, while nervously waiting for the doorbell to ring so I could make my grand entrance. Granny walked over to mommy and said something, I've forgotten what. Then the doorbell rang. Mommy went to answer, I stopped pretending to play and listened for my'cue'. 
 
 `` Welcome back sweetheart,'' Mommy said. 
 
 That was it! I ran towards the door, but when I stepped into the hallway I suddenly got stage fright. The strange man at our door was bigger than I'd imagined, his hair was long, unlike daddy's, and he was tall, unlike daddy, and he wore clean clothes, which daddy only did on weddings and funerals. 
 
 `` Do n't be shy, come say hello to daddy,'' Mommy said. 
 
 I gathered all my courage, this was my big moment. I ran towards the strange man and shouted `` Daddy!'' I was n't sure what I was supposed to do next, so I squealed when the man scooped me up and held me high into the air. 
 
 He'd seemed scary from a distance, but up close, he had a really bright smile. I remember he was crying, and I remember thinking he was really good at pretend. He hugged me so tightly it hurt, but I did n't say anything, just like mommy told me. Then he let me go, and I ran back to my doll house. My heart pounding, hoping I did a good job. 
 
 Later granny came to play with me. She never played with me before, I guessed that was her part of playing pretend. We ate something yucky we never had before that night, but I had to pretend it was delicious. The man asked me something I did n't really understand, so I told him about my doll house, and all my dolls, and what their personalities were. He really liked it, he kept smiling and asking more questions. After dinner granny brought me to bed. She said I'd done a great job playing pretend. Tomorrow the man would leave again, and daddy would come back. I said the man was a little scary, but very nice, and that I hoped he'd come visit again. 
 
 -cont.-
