Once upon a time, in a cozy little home, Maxie was playing with his favorite toy dinosaurs. His friends, Lily and Mike, were coming over to play.

Maxie's mom had baked a plate of delicious cookies for the trio. She placed them on the kitchen table with a note: 'For Maxie and friends.'

Lily arrived first, with a big smile and a book to share. She spotted the cookies and exclaimed, 'Yum! Can we have one now?'

Just then, Mike walked through the door, his eyes wide at the sight of the cookies. 'Maybe we should wait for Maxie's mom,' he suggested.

While Lily and Mike were setting up a game, Maxie decided to sneak a cookie. He thought no one was looking and quickly nibbled on one.

Soon, Maxie's mom returned, ready to offer the cookies to the kids. She was surprised. 'Oh, there's a cookie missing. I wonder what happened,' she said.

Lily and Mike glanced at each other, then at Maxie. They all remained silent. Maxie felt a little flutter in his stomach and looked away.

Maxie's mom asked the children if they knew anything about the cookie. 'Sometimes things happen, but it's always best to tell the truth,' she prompted.

Lily looked at Maxie and whispered, 'Do you know what happened to it?' Maxie's cheeks turned red, and he started to fidget with his toy.

Mike put his hand on Maxie's shoulder. 'It's okay, things happen. But if something did, it's better if we just say,' he reassured his friend.

Taking a deep breath, Maxie looked up at his friends and then at his mom. 'I took the cookie,' he admitted. 'I'm sorry, I couldn't wait.'

Maxie's mom smiled gently, 'Thank you for telling us, Maxie. I'm glad you chose to be truthful.' She then gave the kids each a cookie to enjoy together.

Lily, Mike, and Maxie sat down, enjoying their cookies and feeling happy. They knew that no matter what, being open and honest was best.