You survey your handiwork with a satisfied smile.

“Does it look okay?” she asked slightly timidly.

She was adorable.

“Yep!” you reply with a firm nod. “It’s perfect . I dub thee Bow Kid!” You raise your hands over your head enthusiastically.

The title got a small smile out of the newly christened Bow Kid . Turning towards your other sleepover buddy, seeing her doing up her red cloak (made from an old bedsheet) with her gold star pin reminded you of the other descriptive name. You slide off the bed towards your shelf and look through your art box for a marker.

“Your moustache, Moustache Girl,” you pronounce, holding the marker out for her.

Moustache Girl shook her head.

“Nope, I’ve got a moustache with real hair and everything now.”

You blink back in confusion as she slips off the bed as well and goes to her backpack. It’s the same backpack she carries at school. She come back with a little thing of blond hair.

“Mummy didn’t like it that I used a marker last time, but she let me save some hair when I got a hair cut and helped me stick it to a sticky bit.” She held it out for you and Bow Kid to see more closely. It looked just as flamboyant as the moustache you had drawn on Moustache Girl’s face last sleepover.

“Cool,” you reply. It was well made and looked really cool.

“Ah!” you exclaim, remembering your own attire.

Going to your wardrobe where your several hats were stored, you reach for your special hat, a big purple top hat with a yellow stripe. Then you grab your yellow cape and put that on as well (because heroes wear capes). Done, you sit cross legged on your bed facing Bow Kid and Moustache Girl. You share a look with Bow Kid; Moustache Girl’s moustache is ridiculous — which is cool, but also funny.

“So — um — Hat Kid , how do we play?” Bow Kid asks.

“My ship has a huge pile of pillows in it,” you explain as Bow Kid helps you gather up every pillow you can in the house.

Your mum gives you a slightly exacerbated roll of her eyes and a fond smile as you pilfer every pillow from the lounge room.

“Don’t take the pillows from my bed,” she reminds you.

“Okay, Hat Kid’s mummy,” Bow Kid says.

Mum’s smile widens at Bow Kid’s words.

There are so many pillows it takes you and Bow Kid two trips to gather up all the ones in the lounge room. When you get back to your room you find Moustache Girl isn’t there, so you drop to your knees and reach under your bed as Bow Kid watches curiously. You pull out a cardboard box, your safe.

“Take a look at this,” you say. Bow Kid leans in slower to inspect your show box. “See, it’s got a lock on it.” You point at the spinny safe dial thing and the handle drawn on it.

“Wow,” she replies, a look of anticipation on her face. “What’s in it?”

You’re glad to have found another friend that likes playing dress up and having adventures.

“This is where we keep our time pieces,” you explain. “It makes the ship move.”

Bow Kid nods along enthusiastically.

“So those are important then?”

“Yep!” you reply. “We’ve got to keep them safe.”

You don’t hint at the story you and Moustache Girl have mostly worked out from last time because it will be fun for Bow Kid to get to act it out as well. You open the box to let Bow Kid see all the sand timers you drew on cardboard and cut out.

“I’ve got pillows!” announces Moustache Girl from the doorway.

You fumble with the box as you try to hide it from her, but with a glance you can see she isn’t paying attention, carrying the stack of pillows over and dropping them on the huge pile. So, you quickly hide it back under the bed as Bow Kid gives you a curious look. It will make sense soon.