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Her little squeal was muffled as she clasped her hands over her mouth. “Oh, my God. No! Eew! Yuck!”
While she struggled to remove the bug from her teeth, my whole body shook with laughter.
“It’s not funny!” she screeched as she picked at her teeth. “That is so gross! Did I get it?”
She pulled back her lips to show me her teeth, and the bug was still squished tight between them.
“No. Hold still.” I continued laughing as I leaned forward and caught the little offender with my finger and pulled it out. When I showed it to her, she cringed and spat on the ground beside the car.
“Gross! So gross! Yuck!”
I climbed out behind her. “Extra protein. In some countries, bugs are a delicacy.”
“Well, not to me. Yuck, yuck, yuck.”
“So, does this mean you won’t go on any more rollercoasters today because now you’re afraid of getting bugs in your teeth?”
She spun around, and that same illuminated look flickered back on her eyes. “No. Absolutely not. I want to rideallthe rollercoasters today!”
My heart leaped at her words. She hadn’t just endured her first roller coaster ride; she’d loved it. Little by little, she was cracking out of her shell, and I felt honored to be the one at her side while she did.
“Well then, let’s go get you on some more rides.”
She hopped up and down with excitement, and I slid her hand in mine and pulled her out toward our next adventure.
***
For the next five hours, we bounced around from ride to ride. Ivy was positively unquenchable in her desire to tackle every death-defying experience at Cedar Point Park. Since she’d conquered Millennium Force, it seemed she now felt unstoppable at conquering all her fears. I was glad to see that my plan had worked, and it hadn’t backfired in my face and sent her screaming back to the car.
Every time she lit up with excitement, I did too. Her contagious smile spread warmth and joy wherever it pointed. When she aimed it at me, my whole being seemed to illuminate inside in a way I’d never experienced before. I had spent most of my adult life searching for new experiences and pushing my boundaries to live life to the fullest, and honestly, I had done so much that it was becoming difficult to experience something new ... to feel that rush. But the feelings Ivy inspired in me were uncharted territory. They were exciting. Fresh. Intoxicating. I hadn’t realized how long it had been since I’d truly gotten the kind of rush she evoked in me.
“How much time do we have left?” Ivy asked as we sat at the picnic table while she ate a corn dog.
I glanced at my phone. “Well, we are about five hours from Chicago. If we leave now, we can have you home by eight.”
Her mouth pulled into a frown.
“Did you not want to go home? We could stay a little longer if you want. I do have to get to my brother’s wedding eventually, but we’ve got time.”
“No. I mean, I do. I do want to get home. But I really am having the most fun I’ve ever had in my life. I’m just sad to have it end, is all. But you still have ten hours of driving ahead of you, and you haven’t slept since catching a couple hours on the plane. We should probably hit the road.”
“So, you’re ready to go?”
She frowned again, then answered, “Well, we’ve done all of the good rides and some twice, so I suppose it’s probably time to get going.”
“As you wish, Miss Ivy.”
She smiled at my comment, and that warmth spread over me again.
We finished eating and headed out of the park and back to the car. I knew I could make the drive back to Chicago safely, but by that time, I’d have been up for over thirty-six hours straight, and lack of rest was starting to wear on me. I made a note to drop Ivy off at home and then find somewhere outside the city to crash for the night. I’d head to Door County the next day and still have two full days before the big wedding.
“Ready, Miss Ivy?” I asked as she buckled her seat belt.
“Ready.”
I turned the ignition, but instead of starting, the sedan only clicked back at me.
“What’s wrong?” Ivy asked.
