Bears are the answer

“Daddy, I'm scared.”
She sits up in the bed, a little girl lost and alone in the big dark night.
“Don’t be scared.”
“But- what if there’s monsters? Are there monsters Daddy?”
He wants to say no, finds he can’t. Because it doesn't feel like that would be true.
“Daddy?”
Look in the papers. Look at the news. See the monsters dance, flaunt themselves for the camera.
Then an answer forms.
“Do you know why so many children have teddy bears?”
Tiny puzzlement. “Why?”
“Because bears are strong. Bears are fearless.”
He rises.
“Who better to keep a child safe?”