Based on. Liliacmermaid prompt on Tumblr. Feel free to follow me there. Same name. I love reviews.
Madam Secretary Prompt: Elizabeth Henry are on a date and at the top of a Ferris wheel before she confesses that she's terrified being up so high.
Elizabeth stood in front of the bureau mirror in their bedroom putting her earrings in. Taking a step back, she looked at herself and smiled. She looked good. Smoothing her hands across the smooth fabric of her dress, she twirled letting the hem of her dress fly away from her legs before she walked out of the bedroom and headed into Stevie's room to check on their 3 year old.
Elizabeth leaned in the doorway and watched Stevie play with her farm animals. Evidently there was a great disturbance among the cows, given the amount of loud mooing. Stevie glanced up and saw her mother watching her. "Mama, come play with me. You be the pig."
"Oh baby," she said crouching down to be at eye level with her daughter. "I can't right now. Remember, Miss Janie is coming to watch you tonight. Mama and Daddy are going out. Maybe Miss Janie will be the pig."
Stevie's bottom lip poked out. "Mama, you are a gooder pig. I want you to oink like a pig." Elizabeth chuckled before she gave a few pig snorts for her daughter.
"You really think I make a better pig?" she asked her little girl, emphasizing the word better to model correct grammar.. Stevie nodded proudly. "Well, in that case, we can play farm tomorrow morning, alright? But now, it's time for Mama and Daddy to leave. Miss Janie should be downstairs already. Come on. Let's go say hi."
The pair hit the bottom step and found Henry, dressed a nice blazer and khakis, looking forlorn. "Janie is sick and can't come watch Stevie."
"Aww." Elizabeth's disappointment was barely concealed. "Well, I hope she gets better soon, but that messes up our plans."
"I just called to cancel the reservation. Maybe we can do something else." Henry suggested.
"I know what we do," Stevie hopped up from the step she was sitting on and dashed over the her preschool backpack. "This. We do this." She handed Henry a green sheet of paper.
Henry studied it carefully. He looked up at Elizabeth and handed her the paper. "You up for a family date at the carnival?"
"Sure. Why not?" she said, shrugging, still a little down about the whole thing. Then she winked at him. "But I call dibs on you time later tonight."
"Deal," Henry said, the thrill evident in his eyes. So everyone headed back upstairs to change and half an hour later they were in the car on the way to the carnival.
Henry and Elizabeth stood side by side at the railing watching Stevie go round and round on the carousel. Each time she came around, she waved joyfully. Henry reached around Elizabeth's waist and pulled her close. "I'm sorry," he said. "I know you were looking forward to going out tonight."
"Eh, it's fine. I was just looking forward to time with you. We haven't had couple time in quite a while. I miss us."
"I'll call Janie next week and see about Friday night, okay?" He squeezed her a little tighter and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Then they simultaneously waved at Stevie as she came around once again. Collecting their daughter, Henry and Elizabeth followed Stevie around as she went on the frog water ride, giant swings, and a small kid-sized roller coaster that was a train going up and down in circles.
The small family sat on a bench sharing a bag of popcorn as the sun started to set. Stevie sat between her parents, holding the bag and chattered endlessly about the evening's adventures. Henry rested her arm on the back of the bench rubbing circles on Elizabeth's back with his thumb. She looked at him and smiled. It had been a good night. It wasn't exactly the night she'd pictured, but good nonetheless.
Suddenly Stevie jumped off the bench, upending the bag of popcorn, the last handful of kernels scattering on the ground. Elizabeth made a face as if pained by the loss of those last few bites. Her attention was quickly pulled from the ground to the sky as Stevie pointed excitedly, "Mama, Daddy look, look!" Elizabeth's stomach lodged itself in her throat as she followed the trajectory of Stevie's finger all the way to the Ferris wheel.
"Oh honey, that's a ride for big people. I don't know that you're quite big enough to ride that one yet," Elizabeth said, hoping to squelch the plea before it even started.
Henry gave her a funny look and said to Stevie, "Maybe, but we can go check. Come on, let's go." He bent to collect the wayward popcorn bag and stood, tossing it in the trash can. Stevie happily grabbed her father's hand and they took off in the direction of the Ferris wheel, leaving Elizabeth following a few steps behind them.
"Maybe this can be a Daddy/Stevie event?" Elizabeth offered, falling into step with the pair.
Stevie tipped her head back in dismay. "No, I wanna ride with you Mama. And Daddy." Elizabeth plastered a smile across her face and prayed a prayer to a God she didn't believe in that there was a minimum height required for the ride and Stevie was under it. Her stomach was churning violently.
"Just breathe," she murmured repeatedly to herself.
"What was that?" Henry asked, glancing over at her.
"Oh, nothing," Elizabeth said quickly.
"Babe? Are you alright? You look a little flushed."
"Fine. Just a little overheated maybe. I'm fine." Her words tumbled out in a flurry, as if she were trying to convince herself more than Henry.
"Mmm, okay," Henry eyed her for a just a moment before turning his attention back to Stevie, who was pulling his shirt tail and pointing out another spot of interest.
As luck would have it, or unluck, as Elizabeth grimly thought, there was hardly any line at the Ferris wheel when they arrived and Stevie just met the minimum height requirement. "Yes, yes, yes," Stevie chanted pumping her fist up and down, causing Henry to chuckle.
Elizabeth didn't have time to dwell on the impending ride too much because the empty car stopped in front of where they were standing and the operator swung the bar open and gestured for them to get in. The seat swung slightly as she sat down and more so as Henry climbed in. Elizabeth sucked in a breath and held it for a moment before she blew it out hard.
Henry scooted Stevie all the way to the back of the seat, her little sandal covered feet hanging off the front edge. The operator latched the bar and sipped a cotter pin through the latch. He stepped away and the car lurched forward as he advanced the cars so the next couple could board the ride.
Stevie was giggling and Henry was softly tickling her side causing her to squirm. Their movement was rocking the car. Elizabeth closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the metal edge of the back of the seat. Slow, deep breaths, she thought.
Again and again the car lurched forward and then up. Elizabeth just focused on keeping her breathing steady and her eyes closed. Henry was entertaining Stevie. She could hear the joy in their voices, but couldn't bring herself to open her eyes to watch. She thought they had to be pretty far off the ground by now and that terrified her.
She felt Henry's hand on her shoulder. "Babe?" She could hear the alarm in his voice.
"I'm fine," she said, her mouth barely moving and her eyes stayed closed. The air was cooler and a soft breeze blew her hair. It was somewhat calming, but not calming enough. The Ferris wheel made its final ascent to the top and then started back down. The ride was almost full. Within just a few moments, they were on a steady course down and around, and back up.
Elizabeth could tell Henry was watching her. Stevie was talking nonstop about everything she saw and Elizabeth sjust focused on breathing, muttering to herself, "Thousands of people ride Ferris wheels and they are safe. You are going to be fine." She heard Henry stifle a laugh. "So help me God, Henry McCord I will hurt you when we get off this thing."
"Mama, no saying God."
"Yes, baby." Elizabeth said evenly.
"Mama look. It's so pretty. Mama, open your eyes and look." Elizabeth desperately didn't want her daughter to have the same kind of fear that she did, so fought against her body's natural reaction and forced her eyes open.
It was almost completely dark and all of the lights of their small city were aglow. It was beautiful. Elizabeth was careful to keep her eyes far out in the distance and point out things for Stevie to find. She didn't quite notice the rise and fall of the Ferris wheel so much. Going around twice more, they can to rest at the bottom, where the operator popped the cotter pin out and pulled the bar away. They climbed out and Henry held Elizabeth's hand helping her down.
"Why didn't you tell me you were afraid of heights?" he asked.
"It's not specifically heights, it's being stuck at the top of a Ferris wheel. I think I was maybe 8 or 9 and Will was with me and there was some problem and we were stuck at the top for a long time. Will was being a jerk and kept rocking the seat and tormenting me. I haven't been on a Ferris wheel since."
"You didn't have to go," he whispered in her ear, pressing a kiss there.
"I couldn't disappoint Stevie," she murmured so only Henry could hear. He grinned at her. "And it didn't end up being too terrible. It was pretty, just like she said."
"You are amazing." Henry pressed a kiss to her lips.
Stevie tipped her head back and caught them kissing. "What about me Daddy?" Henry and Elizabeth laughed and Henry scooped Stevie up and kissed her on the cheek. "Uh-uh, right here. Just like Mommy," Stevie insisted, pointing to her lips. Henry grinned and pecked his daughter in the lips.
"How about we get Mommy an ice cream cone before we go home?"
"Yes. Stevie too," the little girl said.
Standing at the car, they finished their cones before getting in. "Next time, just tell me. Even if you want to face your fear, I'll be there to help you." He smiled so sweetly at her that Elizabeth was sure her heart melted.
"Actually, I do need you help with something," she grinned, but it will have to wait until we're home, in the bedroom, alone."
"I serve at the pleasure," he replied grinning back. Then he looked down at Stevie who had just finished her ice cream. "Times up baby girl. Family date night is officially over. You need to get to bed, so I can get to bed." Elizabeth chuckled.
Before getting into the car, she looked back at the Ferris wheel towering over the rest of the carnival. It wasn't that bad, she decided. Maybe she'd ride again in another thirty years.