“Please don’t track mud in the house this time. And take your brother!”

“Okay mom!” I yelled behind me as I ran out of the house. Our small home in Idyllwild was tucked away in trees and tall grasses surrounded by the dark forest. My pink glittery dress and green wings turned me into the perfect fairy princess. My whimsical six year old mind made our deck the perfect place to fly around while traveling to the sacred fairy garden.

Spring time on the mountain brought fields of yellow dandelions, perfect weather, and the fairy garden. My reckless force turned my dad’s once wooden bird feeder into a perfect place for a fairy fortress. Every year beside my house I would find a perfect pine cone and place flower petals on top like a roof; it created the perfect home for my glittery friends. I snuck into my neighbor's yard and stole the prettiest flowers I could find, while always lead to the chasing me out of their yard. The colorful fortress was for the queen, surrounding was more of the tiny homes, led to each others by paths of stones. I decorated the magical area with pretty rocks and flowers, the process took a few days. When it was finished every year I would fly my little brother to witness the garden. I never aloud his sticky fingers to touch it, this place was my home.

At night while I was sleeping in my stuffed animal covered bed, I dreamt my fairy garden came alive. The Queen fairy flew everyone in to witness the beautiful town I had created. They danced all night and socialized in their petal houses. The little town would glow all night through the trees, I was always dying to go see if the fairies were there. But my mom reassured me they were, and that they loved it.

After a few weeks of checking in my garden in the morning daily, I expected my little brother to eventually destroy my oasis in envy. And one morning while getting ready for second grade, I noticed my black cat Sparkle had gone missing. I quickly flew to the garden, and there he was. My cat was investigating the fairy garden that had been destroyed overnight by my brothers toy soldiers. I was heartbroken my hard work had gone to waste so soon...but it had to happen every year. It meant the end of spring.

The flowers on the trees surrounding turned to leaves, the leaves turned red, then the leaves froze and broke off. The long winter frost eventually started melting away, and the bulbs sprouted. It was time for spring again. I gathered my petals, pebbles, glitter, and pinecones. It took a week to build it up this year, my mind raced with new ideas for town buildings. This was the most grand fairy garden yet. The homes hung from the trees, there was a tiny river flowing through the town. I danced around the decorated garden proud of my beautiful set up. I ran inside to get my cat, he loved to see the garden. But this year it was different.

My friends were more interested in littlest pet shop toys, not my garden. “We are third graders now, Miren,” A few of them explained. My heart sank a bit when my mom forgot to remind me about the fairies visiting nightly. My brother never even destroyed this year's garden, he lost interest in my game. I gazed over my garden, wings in hand. At only age seven, I felt my childhood slip out of my fingers for the first time. I put the wings away and joined my friends playing littlest pets.

The fairy homes remained untouched as it rained, the stones were washed away in the summer storms. In the fall leaves covered the garden, and the graveyard of homes froze in the winter. It was time for spring again.