He’s always been the good one—gentle, trusting, and easy to overlook. But when Bebo is wronged, his loud, fractured family surprises everyone by coming together to fight for what’s right. What makes Bebo so special is his sweetness—his openness, his generosity, the way he moves through the world with unshakable goodness. I believe there’s a bit of Bebo in all of us.

As a child, I was constantly reminded how cutthroat the world was. I was told I had to be ready, and those who loved me felt it was their duty to prepare me for the harshness ahead. But as I grew older, I learned to treasure the child in me—the curiosity, the wonder, the goodness.

This story drew me in because it asks: What if, instead of urging children to toughen up, we helped them preserve the very qualities that make them beautiful? What if we prepared them to face the world without stripping away their softness?

Freddy Caro