A beautiful thing happened a day after I had visited Dragon Little and Dragon Father. I have already told you of the day itself, when Dragon Father tried to summon back Mary from the dead, when he summoned me to help him explain death to Dragon Little, when she and I ate ice cream together, and when I told her a good night story and called her a little dragon. 

That day was one of the most magnificent of my life since I had been born. 

And the day after I learned that it was the same for Dragon Little. 

Shortly after Dragon Father appeared on Bonny’s Revenge and woke her up, Dragon Little ran up and down the deck, spreading her human arms and flapping them. 

“Look, Dad, I’m a dragon!” 

He looked at her and smiled. 

She leapt on the railing and jumped into the air towards the deck, flapping her wings, “I’m Dragon Little! I’m Dragon Little!” 

Dragon Father laughed. “You’re almost flying, Joy! Try again!” 

She did. “I’m a dragon! I’m a dragon!” 

He laughed again. 

“You almost had it. One more time! I think this time you will fly!” 

She climbed on the railing and jumped. This time he caught her in the armpits and began to run with her all over the deck. 

“You’re flying, Dragon Little! You’re flying!” 

“Wheeee! Wheee! I’m a Dragon Little! I’m a little dragon!” 

Dragon Little ‘flew’ from one end of Bonny’s Revenge to the other so many times that morning, and each time my heart was warmed. She loved me. For the first time in my life, someone I loved loved me. It was heartwarming. It broke my heart and mended it at the same time.

It was wondrous.

I wish she was my little dragon daughter…

—Told by The Red Dragon