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“No. It’s cute with the way it’s lopsided. You raise the right side of your mouth a lot. Makes you look like you’re up to no good, which I suspect you usually are. You’re doing it right now. It’s usually followed by a bigger smile, and you look up at the ceiling, like we’re all idiots but you enjoy us anyway.”
I can’t control the way I do exactly what he just said.
The sun begins to set, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink, casting a warm glow over the carnival. The neon lights on the various rides and game stalls start to come to life, creating a vibrant and magical atmosphere. The air is filled with laughter, screams of delight, and the distant jingles of carousel music.
And our eyes are locked, as we walk and talk, like we’re the only people in the park.
“Rob? What are you doing here?” a woman says, breaking the spell between us. She has short brown hair and dark eyes, and she’s holding hands with a man who is fit, balding, and looking very uncomfortable with seeing Rob here at the fair.
“I’m with the kids,” Rob tells her, stiffly. “I thought you were in Niagara Falls.”
She motions toward the man she’s with. “Mike and I got back this afternoon. You should have told us you were coming. Where’re Molly and Jesse?”
Rob nods toward the direction the kids went. “On rides. They’ll be surprised you’re here.”
The tension pouring out of Rob’s body is palpable from where I’m standing. I look at him and then to her, wondering what kind of awkward standstill is happening.
I cut in and introduce myself. “I’m Tara.” I extend a hand.
The woman takes it awkwardly, and then I shake the man’s hand too.
Then, I hold up my fish. “This is Bob.”
The woman looks curiously at my fish and then back at me. “I’m Christine, and this is Mike.”
I know these names and have heard them quite a bit over the past week. “Are you Molly and Jesse’s mom?” I ask like I just met a rock star.
“I am. And you are?”
“Tara’s helping me with the kids this summer.”
Christine looks surprised. “You’re the babysitter. I was expecting a teenager.”
“She’s an accountant. And a friend. Who’s spending the summer with us.”
“I pictured someone else altogether. By spending the summer, I assume that means you’re sleeping at the house.” Christine shifts as she drops Mike’s hand and looks at the teddy bear. “Did you win that for Tara?”
“The bear is for Molly,” Rob replies.
“Cute.” She turns to me. “He was always good at carnival games. I used to leave here with an armful of stuffies.”
“Too bad you’re stuffie-less tonight,” I comment and then see Jesse and Molly jogging toward us.
“Mom!” Molly exclaims as she throws her arms around her mother.
Jesse looks just as confused to see Christine as Rob did a moment ago.
“You’re supposed to be away,” Jesse comments as he hugs his mom and refuses Mike’s handshake.
Christine explains her change in travel plans. Rob just stands here, silent and observing her talking to their kids. The divorce must have been a contentious one because Rob, while civil, has that steel persona of his up.
“Do you guys want to hang with us for a little bit?” Christine asks the kids, and Rob’s entire body tenses beside me.
“Actually, we were just about to go on a ride,” I state.
“Mike is afraid of heights, so as long as it’s not something high up, we’ll join you,” Christine offers.
“Drats,” I say. “We’re going to the Ferris wheel. You ready, kids?”
