The Tiny Blue Truck

Yusuf had one toy he loved more than all the others. The tiny blue truck.

It was the size of his palm. It had four real wheels, and the back of the truck tipped up when you pressed the lever. He had named it Captain Whirl, and Captain Whirl went absolutely everywhere with him.

When his cousin Aria came to visit, she walked straight to Captain Whirl, picked it up, and pressed the lever.

"Mine," Yusuf said, before he had even thought.

Aria looked confused.

Yusuf grabbed the truck back. He held it in both hands. His chest felt tight, like a balloon that had blown up too fast.

"Yusuf," his dad said gently from the doorway. "Come here a minute."

They sat together on the rug. Captain Whirl was hidden in Yusuf's lap.

"Tell me about Captain Whirl," Dad said.