Evelyn giggled as Dad pushed her higher and higher on the backyard swing.
"Whee!" Evelyn yelled, kicking her feet.
"Higher, Daddy, higher!"
Dad chuckled. "You're going as high as a rocket ship already!"
Evelyn loved rockets. And spaceships! Anything that went zoom!
Suddenly, a funny noise filled the air. *Whizz! Bang! Pop!* The swing stopped moving. Evelyn's eyes widened. What was that sound?
It seemed to be coming from behind the big oak tree. The one Daddy called "Old Majesty." Evelyn loved that tree. It had a little door at the bottom, perfect for peeking through.
"Daddy, let's explore!" Evelyn squealed, scrambling off the swing.
Dad smiled, his eyes twinkling. "What adventure awaits us today, little explorer?"
Holding her dad's hand tight, Evelyn tiptoed towards the tree. The strange sounds got louder. *Whirr! Clunk! Beep!* It sounded like… like… a robot making a cake!
Peeking around the tree, Evelyn gasped. It wasn't a robot baking. It was a spaceship! A small, shiny, silver spaceship, with lights blinking and smoke puffing. And next to it, a little green alien with big eyes was waving at her!
"Hello!" chirped the alien. "My name is Zorp. My spaceship broke! Can you help?"
Evelyn wasn't scared. Not one bit. Zorp looked friendly. "Hi, Zorp!" she said. "I'm Evelyn. This is my Dad."
Dad, who had been speechless with surprise, finally spoke. "Well, hello there, Zorp. We're not spaceship mechanics, but we'd love to help!"
Zorp explained that his spaceship ran on friendship power. "It needs good vibes and happy thoughts to fly," he said sadly. "But I'm all alone, and my friendship power is low."
Evelyn knew just what to do. "Friendship is easy!" she said. "It means being kind and playing together. Like me and Daddy, and my friends at the park!"
She grabbed Zorp's hand and pulled him towards her playhouse. "Let's play hide and seek! Then you can meet my dog, Sparky. He loves making new friends!"
For the rest of the afternoon, Evelyn and Dad played with Zorp. They pushed him on the swings, built a tower with blocks, and even shared their cookies and juice. Sparky, their playful dog, licked Zorp's face and wagged his tail excitedly.
As the sun started to set, Zorp's spaceship suddenly blinked and beeped. This time, the sounds were happy ones.
"My friendship power is full!" Zorp cried. "Thank you, Evelyn, thank you, Dad! You showed me the power of friendship."
He hugged Evelyn and her dad tight. "I have to go now, but I'll never forget you. Come visit me on my planet sometime!"
With a whoosh and a flash of light, Zorp and his spaceship disappeared.
Evelyn and Dad stared at the spot where the spaceship had been.
"Wow," Evelyn whispered. "That was the best adventure ever!"
Dad hugged her close. "It sure was," he said. "And it all started because you showed Zorp the true meaning of friendship."
Evelyn snuggled into her dad's side, her heart full of warmth. She knew, even though Zorp was far away, their friendship would always connect them, just like the stars in the night sky.
