The soft glow of the evening sun filtered through the curtains, casting warm shadows across the room as Barry settled onto the couch. Next to him sat you, little as you are, feet swinging with barely contained excitement. It wasn’t every day you got to hear a story from Barry, especially one about The Flash—that’s your favorite superhero ever, and you’re hearing it from your favorite babysitter ever!

“All right,” Barry began, a small smile playing on his lips, “I’ll tell you about the Fastest Man Alive. But,” he lowered his voice to a conspiratorial tone, “you have to keep it a secret, okay?”

As you gave an agreeing nod, he smiled, and put on his best story-telling voice.

“So,” Barry started, leaning forward, “once upon a time, in a city called Central City, there was a man who could run faster than anyone else in the world. He could run so fast that he was just a blur, like a lightning bolt streaking through the streets. People called him…The Flash.”

“He wasn’t just fast; he could be anywhere in a blink, saving people from disasters, stopping villains from their evil plans. And, sometimes, he could even run so fast that he could travel through time.”

“He was brave,” Barry said, his voice softening, “but he was also just… a guy, you know? A guy who wanted to make things right. He wasn’t perfect; he made mistakes, but he always tried to learn from them. And he kept running, no matter what.”

Barry saw your face instantly light up with admiration, and he knew he’d hit just the right note.