The next morning Ava wakes with a jolt as a paper airplane smacks her in the head. She sits up and looks around. Kate is still fast asleep, but Sophie is wide awake. She's leaning on a book staring down at it like she wasn't the one who threw the paper airplane. Ava stretches and swipes the orange paper airplane off the floor. She sits up in bed and carefully opens it. In the messiest handwriting she's ever seen it says, I believe you. She looks up at her sister, she's the only one who writes that way; their mom calls it chicken scratch. Ava always giggled at the phrase. 

Ava hides the plane under her pillow. She's ready to start her day in hopes some good news will come out of it. Before she gets to the top of the stairs she hears the sound of chainsaws outside. Her heart drops, because even though she's just shy of seven she knows what that sound is. It makes her wonder if the trees are hurting as they cut, or if because they are fallen they don't feel a thing. She's about to take a step down when Aunt Chris's door opens and Ava jumps with a start. Aunt Chris watches her closely as Ava's eyes tear up. 

"Come here darling," Aunt Chris says.

Ava runs into the arms of her aunt. Aunt Chris feels like home. The warmth of her hug makes Ava feel better. Aunt Chris holds her at arm's length so she can see her better. 

"How are we doing this morning?" She asks. 

Ava lets out a sigh and her shoulders fall. 

"Why don't we get out of here for today?" Aunt Chris asks. "We'll come back when they finish for the day. How does that..." 

Aunt Chris doesn't finish, behind her Derek places a hand on her shoulder. Ava looks up at Derek, trying to give him her best smile. 

"We could go eat breakfast at the Pancake house, then maybe I could take you ladies to the Adventure Park. You may just be tall enough to ride the ladybug roller coaster with me this year." 

Derek kneels down beside Aunt Chris. Ava's smile grows wide with the mention of pancakes and a rollercoaster, although putting those two together probably isn't the best idea. 

"We have to wait at least an hour after eating before we ride. I'm not cleaning up after you Derek," Ava says, trying to sound like a parent. 

Derek and Aunt Chris laugh. 

"Yeah we don't want what happened to your aunt to happen to you." 

"I can't believe she threw up on you," Ava says, scrunching up her little nose. 

She also can't believe she remembers the story Derek and aunt Chris told her last summer. 

"Believe me kid I can't either," Derek says, nudging Aunt Chris with a smirk on his lips. 

Ava straightens herself, "Time to wake up the troops!" She says. 

"No jumping on Kate's bed," Aunt Chris calls to her as she's about to enter the room. 

Ava gives her best smile and holds up her pink. 

"Pinky swear," she giggles. 

The girls were all for a day of pancakes, cotton candy, rides, and adventure with their aunt and Derek. They all hopped into Derek's truck after aunt Chris put the car seats in. Thankfully they all fit. Ava watches with sad eyes out the window as they pull away from the house. The men and machines are cutting up the fallen and broken trees. This goes on the whole length of aunt Chris's street. She can't believe how much damage the storm did. 

Derek stops at a stop sign at the end of the road. Ava continues to keep her eyes on the woods. Some trees are still standing, and that makes her happy. She stares into the trees wishing that the wind would show up. The car moves forward and a twinkle catches her eye. By the time she looks in that direction it's gone. Part of her believes it was magic. 

Ava hasn't forgotten about the magic, but being at the adventure Park is the best feeling ever. It feels like she's been there for days, but it's only been an hour. Derek takes her hand and kneels down in front of her. 

"Let's see how tall you are, shall we?" 

Ava hadn't noticed that they were standing in front of the ladybug. Her eyes light up and she nods. Holding hands they walk over together. Ava turns, placing her back against the yellow sign with the ruler on it. She's afraid to look at Derek, but when she does he's smiling wide. 

"I made it?" She asks. 

"You made it," he says. 

Ava squeals with excitement as the two of them head towards the ride. Once on and settled she's nervous. So nervous that she thinks even though she ate food over two hours ago that she's going to be the one to puke on Derek. She grips the metal bar in front of her tight, as Derek lays his hand over hers. 

"You ready?" he asks. 

She nods and shakes her head at the same time, causing Derek to laugh. A soft breeze picks up just before the last rider climbs aboard. In the corner of her eye Ava swears she see's swirls, just like the ones in the woods. Her eyes light up and it's like suddenly all of her fears vanish. The roller coaster jolts forward and at first it scares Ava, but once they take that small dip towards the ground she screams with excitement. 

Later that night back at home the men have left for the night, but she knows they will return in the morning. Ava continues to stare out the window wishing that by doing so something will magically change. The lock on the window looks inviting, she wants to open it so badly and go visit her friends in the woods, but she knows she can't. She has to listen to aunt Chris, and when she spoke to her mom she promised her that she would never run away again, no matter how sad she was. 

Ava's bed shifts and she looks up. Sophie sits perched at the edge of her sister's bed, she carefully observes her baby sister. 

"What was it like?" she asks. 

Ava is confused at first by her question. 

"I mean, were you scared?" 

Ava shakes her head, "No. I knew the magic would save me." 

"Can I meet the magic?" Sophie asks. 

Ava shrugs, "Maybe it will let you if you believe hard enough." 

Sophie understands and even though she's eight, she still believes. She's always believed that there had been something magical about that place and now she had proof. She gives her little sister a hug. 

"I hope your magic friends are okay," she tells Ava. 

"Thank you Soph." 

Ava gives her sister a loving squeeze and then lays back down as Sophie heads back to her bed. Ava rolls back over towards the window and in a soft voice says, "Goodnight Soph." 

Her sister responds with a goodnight. Knowing her sister is on her side makes her feel better. Now if only Kate would believe. She knows that the magic said she couldn't tell, but she knew the moment Derek found her that he believed too, so why couldn't her sisters believe too? Maybe all she needed for the woods to be saved was for others to believe in the magic too. With that goal in her mind Ava made it her mission; that she would make people believe that magic exists in this world and that if everyone believed hard enough they could do anything. Maybe it's not the real answer, but deep in her heart she truly believes it can't hurt to believe in something amazing