The Roar of the Night

27

Alex had told me we were going to a fair, and for some reason, I was more nervous than usual. "It's a good idea not to panic if you see or hear loud noises," he warned me as we walked toward the entrance. It wasn't like he scared me easily, but something in his tone made me think that maybe he was preparing me for something different.

Once inside, I felt surprisingly happy. He was not only with Alex, but also with Tom, Clara and Lucy. Lucy still believed he was "Jake," Alex's supposed friend from work who had to wear a sweatshirt because of his "sun allergy." I liked talking to her, although deep down I would have preferred that Little Eyes had come too. But I knew this moment was important.

We tried sweets and candy, and Lucy couldn't stop laughing at the clowns passing by. Their laughter was contagious, and I felt more relaxed. While we were walking, Tom and Clara decided to go to the tunnel of love, which left Lucy excited to ride the Ferris wheel.

"Come on, Dad, you have to ride with me!" Lucy exclaimed, jumping with excitement. But Alex paused a little, clearly uncomfortable.

"I don't know if that's a good idea," he muttered. "I'm afraid of heights."

Lucy, with her infinite energy, insisted. "Come on! It's not that high, it's just laps. I promise it'll be fun!"

Alex hesitated for a moment and then said, "Well...Jake, why don't you come with us?"I froze for a second, not expecting that invitation. But then I saw Alex wink at me, like he was thinking up something.

"I don't know Jake!" Lucy replied, somewhat confused.

"You do know him," Alex told him, with a smile. "They've seen each other before. They haven't talked much, though."

With that, Lucy turned to me with a curious look. I realized that this was a crucial moment, a step forward. Meanwhile, Alex continued speaking in a casual tone. "The truth is that I'm very afraid of heights. But if you go on it, then we could try the roller coaster later."

Lucy's eyes lit up at the thought. "Yes, yes! Let's go up and then go to the roller coaster!"She ran towards the line, while Alex looked at me with an amused smile. I approached him and asked him quietly, "Are you really afraid of heights?"

"Of course not," he replied with a light laugh.

"Then why did you lie to him?" I questioned, surprised by his response.

"To give you some time alone with her," he answered, with a seriousness I hadn't expected. It reminded me that with the hood up, I could talk to Lucy without having to hide completely. "Be kind. I've been waiting so long for this moment, one where you can talk to her like you always wanted to."

The weight of his words felt like an enormous responsibility. Just then, Lucy called us from the line. "It's our turn!"

I felt a knot in my stomach. This was going to be the first time he would be alone with Lucy without having to pretend to be a dog. Now I would have to pretend to be a human... and that made me more nervous than anything else.

"Come on, Jake," I said to myself, nervous about what was coming. He was about to face one of the most important moments, in what seemed like a simple wheel of fortune, but it was much more than that.