Page 18 of Big Bad Single Wolf Dad

Next up is the Dragon Cave, a roller coaster made for kids. It has a few sharp turns and one large drop but is otherwise incredibly nonthreatening. Noah, Lily, and Mia are anxious to get on.

“I’ll hang back with the young ones. Maybe we’ll get some of that kettle corn I’m smelling while we wait.” Sarah lowers her sunglasses, eyes darting around to find the source of the buttery sweet aroma.

While we wait, Lily’s excitement only grows. But Noah and Mia are beginning to shrink back. Every time the riders on board scream in delight, Mia covers her ears and shuts her eyes.

“Are you sure you’re ready to ride? You can always go find your mom if you’re scared.”

Mia shakes her head quickly and hugs herself. “No! I’m not a baby, I can do it!”

Lily takes Mia’s hands and jumps up and down. “It’s gonna be so fun! You’ll see, it’s gonna be great!”

Mia looks up as the coaster comes to a stop. It’s our turn to board next. The ride seats two by two, and I can tell Lily wants to sit by her friend. But that might not be the best option here.

“Mia, will you feel better if you sit by me?” I ask gently.

She looks up at me with wide eyes and thinks about it for a moment. The gate opens and she jumps, shoulders wrenching up to her ears.

“Okay!” she squeaks. Mia darts out her hands and grabs onto mine, following me onto the dragon’s back. The bar ratchets down into our laps, and the poor girl looks like she’s going to be sick. I look behind us at Lily and Noah. He looks like he’s desperately clinging to his last shred of courage, while Lily gives me a thumbs-up.

The dragon begins to move, and Mia grips the bar for dear life. But it barely crests over one small hump before she relaxes and starts to enjoy the ride. By the time we spill over the last big hill, she’s screeching in happiness and nothing but giggles as we pull into the station.

“Can we do it again!? I wanna do it again!” she cries in joy. The transformation was certainly something to witness. I help her out of the dragon and shake my head.

“We have to meet up with your mother. And there’s plenty of other coasters to try.”

Noah’s face looks green, but he hides his growing hesitance to get on any of them.

“I want to do all of them!” Mia yells.

“Oh, really?” Sarah asks. She has a bag of popcorn in one hand, balancing Ollie on her hip with the other.

“Was it scary?” Ethan asks Noah.

Noah looks at the other boy with wide eyes. “N-no. Not at all.”

“Liar,” Lily says with a giggle.

“Daddy, I like cuddle corn,” Ollie says before grabbing a handful from the bag and shoving it in his mouth.

“We tried to practice moderation, but it’s not sticking,” Sarah explains. Her cheeks are bright red from all the smiling. I can’t help but take heart at how thoroughly Ollie trusts her. He doesn’t trust anyone that easily.

We move on through the carnival, switching between intense coasters and small experiences everyone can take part in. Ethan even tries one thrill ride, at the behest of his sister, and seems to enjoy it.

When we take a quick break, we all sit at a wooden table and enjoy some ice cream. Lily insists on her new stuffed bear that's bigger than she is sitting right next to her. She threw an impressive pitch to win the bear – she might even have a future in softball.

Sarah sits next to me, her free hand resting gently on my knee. We’re sitting so close, I can feel her warmth even through my mild sunburn. This all feels so natural, so right.

I don’t want this moment to end.

10

SARAH

“Alright, what’s next?” Greg asks as everyone finishes eating their waffle cones.

“Wet wipes,” I declare. I grab my purse and retrieve exactly that. I haven’t been without a pack of them on me at all times since Mia was born. I pass out one to each kid to wipe their hands with, though Noah and Lily seem a little weirded out by it. Greg looks at me strangely when I offer him one as well, but he relents and wipes his hands free of the sticky peanut butter delight. “Okay, now we can discuss what’s next.”

“Can we play another game?” Ollie asks sheepishly. “I wanna win a toy, too.”

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