AN: The game they play was created by some Kindergartners I know.
"Mommy, mommy, can we play Angry Birds? Pleeeeease?" Oliver demanded, jumping off the slide.
"Honey, we're at the park, you can play video games later," Quinn answered. "Go help your sister up the ladder."
Four-year-old Leah was slowly making her way onto the playground, one rung at a time. Rachel stood below, ready to catch the tiny brunette if she slipped.
"No, mommy. I mean I'm the bird and you're the pig. I have to knock you over!" Oliver explained.
Quinn lauged. "So, you think you can knock me over, big boy?"
Rachel overheard the last comment and called over, "He's six now! Of course he can knock you over! He did it when he was five, remember? Get her, Ollie!"
Quinn smirked at the memory of a previous playground visit. "Okay, go for it! Knock me down!"
Ollie leaned forward, balled his fists, and scrunched up his face, trying to look angry. Then he took off at full speed toward his mommy. His skull collided with her stomach, and she wobbled, but did not fall down.
"Ooof. Oh, look, I'm still standing. You'd better try again," Quinn teased.
"I'm gonna get you!" Ollie yelled.
He resumed his former "angry bird" stance and raced at his mommy again. This time, Quinn leaned down, wrapped her arms around him, and spun him around.
"I got you, Ollie!" she exclaimed, smiling. The boy just laughed.
"I'm coming again!" he yelled, as he ran back to his starting position.
Again, Quinn scooped him up and spun. Their faces cracked wide with smiles and laughter. Suddenly, Leah was running toward them at top speed.
"Mommy!" she squealed.
Quinn quickly set Oliver back on the ground and turned to grab Leah.
"I got you, Leah!" Quinn laughed again, lifting the girl under her arms and twirling around.
For the next ten minutes or so the two children ran at Quinn and she spun them around and around, again and again. Spinning and spinning and spinning until all three felt intoxicated, all dizzy and elated. All shouted "Whee!" or "Whoo!" together as they turned, words lost and unimportant. At one point, Ollie decided to clamber onto the playground and launch himself off the slide, and so this became the loop: climb, slide, run, spin, repeat. Rachel lifted Leah over the ladder to speed the process. She couldn't stop smiling either, watching her family play joyfully in the tanbark.
Then Rachel decided to join the game and scaled the ladder herself. Quinn was so dizzy that she couldn't concentrate much on the climbing and so was surprised when Rachel came barreling off the slide, headed right for her. Her eyes widened, afraid that Rachel might actually knock her over in her impaired state. Rachel was considerably larger than the four and six-year-olds.
"Watch out! I'm coming!" Rachel yelled, after Quinn noticed her.
Neither could contain their grins as Rachel leapt into Quinn's arms, throwing her own right arm over the blond's shoulder. Quinn held her tight as they twirled together, around and around, laughing and laughing, as gleeful as they had ever been.
Quinn stopped when her head started spinning faster than her body. Both continued giggling, arms still around each other.
"Angry Birds isn't as angry in real life, is it?" Quinn mused.
"Hardly," Rachel replied. "Not that any birds could stay angry for long around you."
"So you say now," Quinn retorted.
"Shut up. I love you," Rachel said, still smiling. Hazel and brown eyes met, shimmering with joy and contentment.
"I love you too," Quinn answered before moving one hand to Rachel's dark brown waves. She closed the few inches between them, and kissed Rachel softly, "I love you so much."
Just as their exchange became a moment, Ollie and Leah came racing toward them, ready for another turn.
"Spin me, mommy, spin me!" Ollie cried, jumping in the air.
"Spin me too!" Leah echoed.
And so each mother grabbed a child and spun them around and around and around, four voices joined in laughter sounding across the park.