Milkshake Hearts

Chapter 152: California Adventure

The tiredness of an early Friday night gives way to bubbling energy the next morning, Rosie bounding around happily as the three of them eat breakfast, excited to head out for the day. The air is fresh when they head out, owing to the (relatively) early morning, but they head for one of the easier hiking trails Shayne and Courtney have frequented more than enough time to know it well, given Rosie had apparently told Julie she wanted to "go outside and stuff because California isn't as cold as Seattle in February".

"Uncle Shayne, bet you can't get to the next corner faster than me!" she exclaims, happily, all but skipping along with them a little way into the walk. They had considered only doing part of the trail before they turned around, in case it was more active exercise than she was used to, but she quickly makes it clear she's up for it all.

"I bet I can!" he answers, just as enthusiastically, taking to jogging lightly up the trail to almost-but-not-quite keep up with her racing to the next point she challenges him to get to first. He's just as happy to join in every time she challenges him to a race to yet another tree, Courtney laughing at the both of them as she walks along just behind them, always managing to catch up when they get to whatever point they'd raced to and stop to faux-argue about who got there first.

"D'you think Uncle Shayne won any of those races, or did you beat him every time?" she asks Rosie, her tone almost teasing, when they sit down for lunch at a café not far from their place in a small retail strip.

"I think I won every time..." Rosie answers, grinning at Shayne as she does. He puts on a frown, arms crossed in front of himself.

"Really? I think you must have cheated then," he argues back, Rosie rapidly shaking her head.

"No! I don't cheat! I'm just faster than you, maybe kids are just faster!" she answers, emphatic, Shayne descending into laughter at her response as he accepts her winning, spending the next three minutes before their food arrives offering her various fake prizes for winning, from gold medals to trophies and, when he spies a server walking over with their food, lunch.

"You're already getting lunch!" she tells him, sternly, although she grins when she does and quietly thanks the server as their lunches are set down in front of them.

The two banter back and forth on the way back to and once they return home, too, until Shayne comes to a stop in the dining/kitchen area of the house and glances over at the script he'd left on the table.

"Do you have to do more work Uncle Shayne? You should work today since we're going to Disney tomorrow," she tells him, matter-of-factly, when he does. It makes Shayne laugh, a little surprised, as he spins slightly on his heel to face her again.

"I probably should, I gotta memorise a lot of lines before I have to film this stuff on Tuesday and tomorrow's going to be a big day at Disneyland," he agrees, with a nod.

"And California Adventure!" she adds, pointedly.

"And California Adventure," Courtney agrees, wandering over to rest a hand gently on Rosie's shoulder, "you got any ideas on what you want to do this afternoon, if Uncle Shayne is going to do some work?"

Quite a bit of their time together had been pre-planned – a little to manage Shayne's anxiety about the whole looking after a kid for 4-and-a-half days and 4 nights – and the Disneyland trip really couldn't be avoided, given it was two years since she'd last been and she was much taller and able to take on a much larger section of the rides, now. There was the occasional empty space, though, and Courtney figured it'd be something she expects – colouring in, or watching something, or more playing with the cats.

"I had an idea..." Rosie trails off, her tone suddenly shy. It surprises Courtney, a little, and she tries to make her tone reassuring and encouraging in response.