I keep a stuffed toy at my nightstand. Not for my comfort exactly, for the comfort of a kid sleeping in a different room. Sounds odd, I know.

In the course of a room cleaning, tunneling into a pile of pillows plus other random items in the corner, I realized he was reluctant to uncover this particular toy, and flatly refused to have it on his bed.

“Why?”

Suddenly motionless, “Scares me at night.”

“Oh… could I have it?”

Face blank, attentive to my expression, “Um, why?”

Sensing failure for my reverse psychology I changed course, “Well… so I can scare it at night.”

A satisfied smile unfurled across his face.”Sure.”

So I keep a stuffed toy at my nightstand.