He Does School Runs, I Do a Clean Break

On Saturday morning, Michael got up early for once.

"I'm taking Alani to the amusement park today," he said as he slipped on his shoes.

I looked out the window. The weather was nice. "I'll come, too."

He froze for a second. "You will? Didn't you say you had to work this weekend?"

"Not anymore," I said, picking up my coat. "It's not often you make time to be with Alani. She's been saying she wants all of us to go to the amusement park together. Our kid comes first."

Michael's expression shifted, but he said nothing.

Alani came rushing out of her room, already dressed, and threw her arms around his leg. "Dad's taking me to the amusement park! He's the best!"

He smiled, but it looked comically forced.

The amusement park was packed.

The moment we walked in, Alani grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the carousel. I was just about to say yes when Michael's phone rang. He glanced at the screen and stepped aside to take the call.

When he came back, his expression looked a little off. "What a coincidence. I was just chatting in the group chat, and it turns out Demi and her mom are here, too. She's in the same class as Alani anyway. We should just hang out together."

Another coincidence?

I looked him straight in the eye, my tone edged with sarcasm. "Really? That is quite a coincidence. Funny though, I didn't see anything in the parents' group chat. Since when did you get so close to Demi's mom?"

Before I could say more, Michael's face flushed red. "Can you stop overthinking things all the time? Demi and Alani are best friends at school. That's the only reason I've talked to her mom more. Not everyone is as twisted as you!"

The way he got so worked up was almost amusing. I countered, "I haven't even said anything yet. Chill out with your defensiveness."

Just then, Demi's mother, Yvette Miller, walked over, smiling brightly while holding Demi's hand. "Oh, wow. What a coincidence! I didn't expect to run into you guys here. Demi wanted to ride the carousel, so we came."

The moment Demi saw Michael, her eyes lit up, and she ran straight at him. "Mr. Carter!"

He bent down right away and picked her up. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss.

Alani stood beside me, tugging at my sleeve. In a small voice, she said, "Mom, I want Dad to carry me, too."

Hearing that, Michael turned to look at Alani. "Be good, Alani. I'm carrying Demi right now. Can you walk on your own?"

She lowered her head and said nothing. At that, I crouched down and picked her up. "It's okay. Mom's got you."

We spent the whole morning at the amusement park, going on the carousel, the train, the bumper cars… Every time we stood in line, Michael held Demi, even letting her sit on his shoulders.

Alani trailed behind, holding my hand, unusually quiet.

At lunchtime, Michael returned with two kids' meals. He opened one and set it before Demi. "Here, your favorite burger. Dig in."

Her eyes curved into a smile. "Thank you, Mr. Carter!"

Then, he placed the other one in front of Alani. "You too, Alani."

I looked at the two meals. Demi's had everything—a burger, fries, a soda, and a toy. Alani's had just the burger and soda, with no fries or toy.

"Where's her toy?" I asked, looking up at Michael.

He froze. "Huh? This is it. The one with the toy went to Demi—naturally—because Alani doesn't like that stuff anyway."

I looked at Alani, who was staring at the toy in Demi's hand, her eyes reddening. Still, she didn't cry. I felt sorry for her and reached out to gently pat her head.

I could always buy her another one, but it wouldn't mean the same.

In the afternoon, Michael took Demi to ride the Ferris wheel. "Alani, you're afraid of heights. You wait down here for me, okay?"

Alani tugged at his sleeve. "But Dad, I'm not scared of heights. Please, can I come with you?"