Gemma slept deeply, her toy unicorn clutched tightly in her hands as though the night elves might steal it. In her bedroom, the windows of her doll’s house winked in the moonlight.

*

In Gemstone Glade, the moon painted the fountain in shadow and light, poetry glinting in the waters. One of the fairies could not sleep. Rhyolite Robbie flew through the trees, bored and restless. Then he saw it.

The fairy door at the foot of the large oak tree was glowing a soft green. That meant only one thing. There was a child in need of help.

The door changed colour according to the nature of the child; weeks could go by and there was no colour, and then every day for a month there would be a new colour each night, sometimes even a rainbow medley of colours, and then you knew that there was a very special child indeed somewhere – crying for help.

Robbie knew that the green colour denoted friendship; the child needed a friend. He smiled. There was a reason he could not sleep.

But he could not do it himself. Merlinite Matilda was the best person to help. She was a magician fairy, with untold tricks and spells up her purple sleeves.

Matilda was only too happy to assist. Nervously, Robbie knocked at the little green door. Slowly it opened out towards them. A green tunnel confronted them. Where would it lead?

Then they were there, in a little girl’s bedroom. Pictures of unicorns adorned the walls. The child breathed deeply, a unicorn toy in her arms.

“Let’s get to work!” whispered Matilda. “The doll’s house! Let’s create doll’s house heaven!”

The house was large and a perfect fairy size to play in! White curtains hid simple rooms with doll’s house furniture. Matilda tossed her wand. Chains of tiny crystals assembled on the walls of each room. Matilda threw her wand again. Magical fairy lights formed on the ceilings, all different rainbow colours. They ran upstairs and found the bedroom. Matilda laughed as she waved her wand. Tiny but real gold jewellery appeared on the dressing table. Finally, it was time for bathroom bliss. Matilda filled the bath with pink rose quartz water, complete with rose petals.

“What else?” asked Matilda. “What about the outside of the house?” suggested Robbie.

So Matilda flew round the house, sprinkling gold dust on the walls. “It looks like a candy box now!” she laughed.

Gemma turned over. Robbie and Matilda froze. Had they woken her? But no, her deep sleep breathing continued.

“One final touch,” breathed Matilda. She waved her wand seven times. Two tiny bluebirds appeared on the roof of the house. “Tomorrow they will fly away, finding their way home to our magical forest. But just for tonight, they are the doll’s house guardians.”

Gemma turned over again. The two fairies took their cue, and jumped in to the green portal of light, which instantly closed behind them, and was gone.

In the morning, Gemma awoke slowly. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up. Then she saw it. Her sparkling doll’s house with two tiny blue birds on top. She cried with delight. What had happened? Had she been visited by a fairy godmother?

As she knelt by the doll’s house, Gemma felt happiness pirouette in her heart. The bluebirds flew around her head, and then were gone. A tiny blue feather fell in to her hand. She would keep it forever, in that secret place that no one else knew about. But one day, she would find it and remember. For now, she was in it, the perfect memory. Let’s make it last, the day can wait. She laughed again, delight in her eyes and magic in her hands. Perhaps this memory could last forever, a morning etched on time in indelible ink. The best memories fill our heart with joy, and never leave us. Like a bluebird, they leave a piece of themselves behind, to cherish for all time.