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“I…”
She sighed when her phone dinged with a message.
With one last longing look at me, she placed the headphones over her ears and turned around, dismissing me without a word.
I watched her go, and I had a sudden, terrible feeling that if I didn’t follow her right now, I’d never get the same chance again.
I started moving, unable to stop myself, following her through the circus.
When she got to a spot near the middle, she met up with her friend who’d stepped in front of her earlier, obviously stopping a freakout before it happened.
I remembered her telling me about her issues.
I had said that I would be willing to help her in any way I could, if only she gave me a chance.
And it broke my heart a little bit that in the year and five months since we’d talked, she hadn’t progressed at all.
Like she was frozen in amber, existing but not living.
I wanted to make her live.
“Dada,” Ulitza said.
I looked down at my girl and saw where she was pointing.
The balloons that were right by where Marlow was now standing.
They were red and green and filled inside with sparkles and lights, making them look like a large snow globe in balloon form.
I went over and nodded my head at Jettison who was holding the balloons tonight.
“You mind if I have six?”
He handed them over gratefully and said, “These were my last ones of the night. See you next year.” He waved.
I walked toward the small group of three children and two adults, handing a balloon to Ulitza before I said, “Is it okay if I give these to the kids?”
Ellenie, who’d been very aware of my presence, sighed. “Don’t hurt her again, man. It took a lot to get her here.”
Then she gestured at the kids, who greedily took a balloon.
“Thanks!” all three said with glee.
I handed one to each lady, too, causing one to smile and one to scowl.
I’ll let you guess which one was which.
I could’ve sworn I heard her growl when she took it.
Then, to prove that there was a god, Ellenie glanced between the two of us and said, “The kids are plum worn out from the circus.”
“We’ve been here an hour max, and the majority of that was waiting in line to get tickets and wristbands,” Marlow corrected her.
I had to hide the lip twitch that threatened to cause her brain to explode.
“I know, but man, this parenting thing is exhausting. I’m going to go,” Ellenie continued.
Ulitza pressed her hand to my throat, her fingers sifting upwards through my beard.
