GuiTara

🎵~32

🎶Love comes to those who believe it ~ Celine Dion

●Tara Afua Henrie●

Renewed with energy, Keke dragged us to more rides and games. She got her face painted and participated in a musical chairs game. Even though she didn't win, she seemed to enjoy every moment. We returned to the carousel as promised, and this time, we all got horses to ride. Shaun looked a bit silly on the horse because he was too tall for it, and Keke spent the entire ride laughing at him.

As the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the fair, the festivities showed no signs of slowing down—and neither did Keke. Being a huge Dora the Explorer fan, she eagerly led us to the Dora's Adventures Puppet Show. We managed to get seats right in front of the wooden puppet stage. Keke sat on Shaun's lap, clutching Cora BunnyChunks. A plump elderly woman sat next to us with her son.

The show began quickly, with puppet Dora and Boots encouraging everyone to sing the Dora theme song. Keke sang loudly with the other kids. Shaun and I shared a laugh when we realized we were the only ones not singing; even the parents joined in.

An hour into the show, Shaun nudged my arm. "Look."

Keke, clutching Cora BunnyChunks, had fallen asleep in Shaun's arms. She shifted slightly to bury half of her face in Shaun's hoodie.

"Aww." The elderly woman beside Shaun smiled. "You both have a beautiful daughter."

My eyebrows shot up. "Oh, she's n—"

"Gracias, Señora," Shaun interjected with a deliberate smile. "She takes after her mama." He threw me a wide grin.

¤¤¤¤¤

"I think she wore herself out," Shaun said, handing sleeping Keke over to her dad.

"No kidding," I added. "We went on every single ride. Twice."

Nando chuckled. "That's my girl." He gently placed Keke in the backseat of his pickup truck, then covered her with a pink blanket.

"Oh, don't forget this." Shaun handed over Cora BunnyChunks. "It's a gift from me."

Nando smiled, taking the bunny and tucking it next to Keke. "You know, I can't thank you guys enough. If Keke was awake right now, she'd be blabbering on and on about how much fun she had." He shut the car door.

"Yeah, brace yourself for that tomorrow morning," I laughed.

"Hey guys!" Footsteps sounded behind us and we turned around to see both Areli and Roberto, holding a bunch of stuffed animals.

"Don't tell me you won all that today?" I tossed the question at my friends.

"Areli did." Roberto dumped the stuffed animals in the footwell at the backseat. "After we were done with our shift, she went full psycho at the balloon pop booth."

"I couldn't help it." Areli beamed. "I was so good."

"Huh, we should have met earlier for a challenge then," Shaun commented.

Areli's eyes widened. "Oh my God, it's you, Shaun Perez! It's wonderful to finally meet you in person." They shook hands.

Roberto, uninvitedly joined the conversation, dropping hints about Areli having a crush on Shaun and she didn't hesitate to smack the back of his head. They continued talking for awhile until Nando announced that it was almost nine pm.