At that point I couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst out laughing. She was standing there with such a serious face that she looked forty, not four.

I hugged her, pulled her close and kissed the top of her head.

“My little princess… come on, let’s go back inside. I’ll talk to that monster.”

She lifted her head and asked quietly:

“Daddy… will you really talk to her?”

“Of course,” I smiled. “But first we’re unpacking this suitcase, alright?”

She nodded, and with the expression of a small champion, she rolled her suitcase back into the house.