Vigilantes - Volume 1 Chapter 40 You're Only Human
We wandered from exhibit to exhibit for an hour before the girls got hungry. Their childlike enthusiasm was contagious and I found myself excited to see the animals too.
When we took a snack break, Kaylee got cotton candy, Cindy and Jon got ice cream, and I got a churro. It was pretty good, but nothing compared to the ones at Disneyland.
My family used to go once a year before Mom died and I never wanted anything but a churro. Cindy wanted a different treat every time. She would roll her eyes and call me boring before grabbing my hand and dragging me to the next ride.
I blinked back tears. I couldn’t think like this right now. Just enjoy the stupid churro, Lori. Don’t be sentimental.
“You okay?” Jon asked. Busted.
“I’m fine,” I said. “Just thinking about churros.”
He raised an eyebrow at me. “I didn’t realize churros were so philosophically important.”
“Churros make the world go round,” I replied lightly.
Lately I had noticed that it was easier to be partly truthful in my interactions with Jon. It was easier to keep track of what I’d said when it wasn’t completely false. Justincomplete.
He just shook his head at me. “You have the strangest insights. I never know what you’re going to say.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“No, it’s part of your charm,” Jon said with a smile. “Come on, the natives are getting restless.”
Sure enough, the kids were trying to wander off again. They wanted to go to the dinosaur dig. And the playground. And the reptile house. And the carousel. It was exhausting trying to keep up with them.
“You’ve been hogging her,” Kaylee announced. “She’s riding the carousel with me.”
“No fair!” Cindy whined.
“I could ride near both of you,” I suggested, trying to keep the peace. They ignored me and kept squabbling.
When I got on the carousel, Kaylee grabbed my hand and dragged me to a turtle right next to her tiger. Cindy conceded defeat with minimal protest and took a giraffe behind us next to Jon’s dolphin.
The argument was soon forgotten as the ride started. They were having too much fun. I remembered how that was. Being a kid, arguments are resolved quickly. With a.d.u.l.ts they seem to fester forever unless there an actual resolution is found.
By the time we left the zoo I was so exhausted that I conked out in the car. Apparently the kids did too. Jon gently shook my shoulder to wake me up. “Hey, I already carried the girls in. I don’t think you want to be carried so you should probably get up.”
“Ugh, how embarrassing. I’m sorry. I haven’t been to the zoo in years; I didn’t realize it would wear me out so much.”
“Don’t worry about it. Come on in, I’ll make you something.” He tentatively held out his hand to help me out of the car and I took it. We walked hand in hand into the house.
“So,” he continued. “Is there anything specific you want?”
“Now that you mention it, pizza sounds amazing right now.”
“I’m down for pizza. Less work for me!” Jon said cheerfully. What toppings?”
“I’m boring, I just like pepperoni,” I said with a yawn. I never tired this easily. Was it a side effect of pushing myself too hard earlier to save Cindy? My stamina was completely down the drain.
“Nah, boring is having to always eat just plain cheese. Kaylee’s picky like that. I’ll get half and half.”
He called the pizza place quickly and plopped down next to me. “Do you want to watch something while we wait? I’ll wake the girls up when the pizza gets here.”
“Sure,” I said tiredly. I let him pick since I was too sleepy to pay attention to the TV anyway. He settled on a baseball game, which I had zero interest in. I closed my eyes for just a minute.
I didn’t wake up until the doorbell rang. My head was on Jon’s shoulder. “Hey,” he said softly. “I need to get the pizza.”
“Five more minutes,” I mumbled deliriously. He laughed and shifted me so my head was leaning against the back of the couch. I fell back asleep until the kids came down the stairs, wide awake and ready for food.
“How long was I out?” I asked while rubbing my eyes.
“About forty minutes. Come get some pizza before the little pigs eat it all.”
“I’m not a pig,” Cindy said indignantly. “I’m a beautiful giraffe.”
“I’m a tiger,” Kaylee contributed with her mouth full of pizza.
I grabbed a couple of slices of pepperoni and sat next to Jon. “Sorry for using you as a pillow back there,” I said self-consciously. “I never do stuff like that.”
He waved me off. “Don’t apologize, it was cute. You’re only human, Lor.”
“Cute?” My embarrassment only deepened. I was not cute.
“Yep. Face it, you’re adorable.”
“You’re embarrassing me,” I mumbled shame-faced. How did he have this kind of effect on me? I hardly ever blushed before this fake relationship started. I guess no one else was close enough to get under my skin.
“Nothing wrong with a little embarrassment,” he claimed before taking another bite of pizza.