A small person came into our room at 2am claiming, “I’m thirsty.”

She was wearing a blanket over her head like a hooded robe. The blanket was neither a robe, nor did it have a hood. It was a blanket. She was a thirsty traveler in disguise.

I suggested she take a sip of water from the cup I left less than 4 inches from her face before she went to bed.

The cup I pointed to and said, “Remember if you get thirsty, your water is right here.”

The small person acknowledged the cup, the water and my thoughtful planning and fell immediately to sleep.

“Chloe (shoot, I’ve given up her secret identity) there’s water beside your bed, sweetie.” (I may have left out the “sweetie” but for purposes of retelling this story, I don’t want to look like the bad guy.)

The hooded creature stood silent.

She finally said, “I’m thirsty.”

“Okay, let’s go and have a drink from the cup you walked past to come and tell me you were thirsty.”

And there it was.

She took a drink long enough to get one but not both lips wet and perhaps a drop zipped past onto her tongue. The water level in the cup would remain exactly as it was.

Good trick, Hoodie.

Good trick.