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“That’s a shame. We were just going to head out anyway. It was a long drive back from the falls today.” Christine holds out her arms to Molly. “I’ll see you next weekend.”
“Later.” Jesse storms off toward the Ferris wheel.
Molly gives her mom a hug and then chases after Jesse to join him. “Wait for me!” That girl will not let a ride be ridden without her presence. Rob and I exchange awkward pleasantries with Christine and Mike and then follow the kids.
The Ferris wheel itself stands tall against the backdrop of the darkening sky, adorned with colorful lights that shimmer and dance. The faint sound of creaking metal as the wheel turns has me laying a hand on my stomach and taking a deep breath.
Jesse and Molly get in the first available carriage. Rob and I step into our designated one, and I feel a mix of anticipation and a touch of nervousness as we ascend slowly into the twilight while the ride allows for more passengers to get on and off the ride.
“Thank you for not letting the kids go with Christine and Mike,” he says as we lift higher and stop.
“She didn’t even have the audacity to tell her own kids she was in town. Don’t worry. I got your back.”
The gentle breeze carries a hint of coolness, causing a delightful shiver to run down my spine. I glance over at Rob, and our eyes meet, exchanging a silent understanding.
“He was my friend. You don’t make friends as an adult, but we became close. Mike used to come over every Sunday to watch the game.”
“Did they have an affair?”
“She says they didn’t.”
“Do you believe her?”
“Does it matter?”
“Yeah. If she left you, it’s nice to know there’s a reason.”
Rob snakes his arm on the cart behind my head. His other resting on the bar in front of us. He lets out a deep groan. “She left because of me.”
We sit for a moment, the carriage moving to a higher level every minute. I don’t try to fill the silence. Rob’s forehead creases, like he’s working through something in his head.
“You said something the night of the wedding. Take a chance. Do something spontaneous. Christine used to tell me that was our problem. I wasn’t spontaneous enough.”
“Trust me, you do enough to keep a woman on her toes.”
“I’m all the things you accuse me of being. Grumpy, too on top of my kids. I forgot how to be fun. I didn’t try hard enough. I didn’t fight for her when I felt her slipping away. It killed my marriage.”
“That’s bullshit,” I declare. “I don’t know who you were back then, but I can tell you that whatever it was, it wasn’t solely your fault. You’re a great father, Rob.”
As we reach the peak of the wheel, we’re greeted with a breathtaking view of the moon. I look at it with a sense of appreciation—until I look down at the carnival below. The vibrant lights create a mesmerizing mosaic of colors, illuminating the surrounding area. The distant sounds of laughter and music fade into the background, and for a heartbeat, I forget that we’re high up in a death trap that has a grave possibility of plummeting to the ground.
I lean back in my seat and close my eyes, feeling the cool metal against my fingertips. The soft hum of the wheel’s mechanics reverberates through the structure, causing my nerves to be at an all-time high.
Rob’s voice breaks my internal dialogue of the many ways this piece of metal could break. “Are you okay?”
“Not the biggest fan of this ride, especially when I can’t vouch for the engineering of it. It’s like being in a plane. I know it physically moves people from one place to the other, but I can’t understand how.”
“The girl who I caught when she fell out of a tree is afraid of heights,” he states as if he’s baffled.
“I don’t like things I can’t control.”
He puts his hand on my shoulder and pulls me closer to him. His other hand lies over my fingers that are gripping the handlebar.
“Look at me, Tara. Don’t close your eyes because you’ll expect the worst. Just look at me. Breathe.”
I turn to him, and it takes me a minute to ignore the fact that we’re at the highest peak of the ride. I concentrate on the chestnut eyes before me and the way the moonlight reflects in the caramel accents.
“Breathe,” he reminds me, moving his lips to do just what he told me to do.
