HOP to it!

When her daughter started asking questions, Amber didn’t want to lie

Amber tucked her little girl into bed. Not long until she’d be fast asleep, then Amber could begin hiding the Easter eggs.

But before she could switch off the lamp, Lola said, ‘Mum, the kids at school say you’re the Easter Bunny.’

Oh no. Lola was only six. This wasn’t a conversation she was expecting just yet. Amber had vowed she’d never lie to her little girl, but there were some truths that had to be withheld.

Lola was still so full of wonder and delight. Amber hoped she’d stay like that for a few more years yet. Lola frowned.

‘Is it true, Mummy?’ True? At this moment, in Amber’s wardrobe, there was a huge basket overflowing with chocolate eggs wrapped in foil. She knew there was only one way to deal with this – avoidance.

‘Who on earth told you that?’ she smiled.

‘Bella. Jake told her and he heard it from

Amanda,’ Lola said.

Amanda Smith! That wasn’t a surprise. Of all Lola’s friends, Amanda was the most inquisitive, clever child Amber had ever met.

‘Do I have long floppy ears?’ asked Amber.

‘No,’ Lola replied.

‘What about a fluffy tail?’

‘Nope.’

‘Does my nose twitch like this all the time?’ Amber wiggled her nose while squinting, making her daughter giggle. ‘Noooo.’

‘Then why would you even think I could be the Easter Bunny?’ Amber lifted her bare feet. ‘These wouldn’t leave giant bunny footprints would they?’ Lola chuckled. ‘No way.’ ‘I’m glad we’ve cleared that up.’ She kissed her daughter. ‘I love you. Daddy does too. He’s sorry he couldn’t tuck you into bed. He got caught in bad traffic on the way home.’

‘That’s okay, Mummy, but he’ll be here in the morning to help me find eggs, right?’

‘He sure will,’ Amber smiled.

‘Goodnight sweetheart.’

Amber headed to the lounge room, checking the time on her watch. Where are you, Tim?

She couldn’t leave until her husband was home. An hour later, he arrived.

‘I’m so sorry,’ he said, as he walked in the door. ‘You’ll be late because of me.’

‘Don’t worry. No matter how late I start, I always finish on time. You know that.’

Tim followed Amber to the bedroom.

‘You won’t believe what Lola asked me tonight. She wanted to know if I was the Easter Bunny.’

Tim’s eyes widened. ‘What did you tell her?’

‘What could I tell her? She’s still so young. Now isn’t the time to tell her about the basket that’s been handed down in my family for generations.’

She opened the wardrobe and picked up a basket laden with Easter eggs – the magic basket.

Immediately, Amber grew long ears, a white cottontail and big rabbit feet. But while her nose started to twitch, Amber’s face remained her own.

‘So one day you will tell her you are the Easter Bunny,’ Tim said.

‘Of course. When I’m certain she’s ready to know she’ll have this special job one day too. But for now, she can just enjoy being a little girl looking forward to Easter egg hunts.’

Amber hopped to the door then stopped.

‘But in the meantime, I’ll make certain a little girl called Amanda Smith is truly asleep before I leave her any Easter eggs.’ ●

She grew long ears, a white cottontail and big rabbit feet