Chapter 10 The Carnival
Charlotte, Cooper and Livi were finishing up their sno cones as they walked past the popcorn stand. "Ooooh! Can I have popcorn?" Livi begs.
"You just had a hot dog with fries and a sno cone. You don't need popcorn too." Charlotte's holding Mr. Bear and finishing up her own sno cone.
"Pleeease? Doc Joey I really want some."
"Let her have it Char. We're at a carnival." Cooper says licking his sno cone.
"Okay fine. But that's it. Don't ask me for the next thing you see." Charlotte hands her some money to buy the treat like a big girl. Charlotte and Cooper watch as she comes back with a big tub of popcorn.
"Oooh. Can I have some?" Cooper asks as he reaches in the tub and grabs a handful.
"Sure." Livi answers happily. "You want some Dr. Joey?"
"Hell no." Charlotte answers. "I'm startin' to feel sick as it is."
"Language, Charlotte" Cooper leans in and reminds her.
"Oh yeah. Forgot." Charlotte tells him.
"Can we play that game?" Livi's pointing to a carnival game.
"Yeah. I love that game." Cooper and Livi rush over to sit on a stool before the bell rings to start. Cooper puts some money down for both of them to play against other carnival contestants. Charlotte holds the popcorn and Mr. Bear. She roots them on as they squirt water into a plastic clown's mouth, trying to pop the balloon above his head. "POP"
"You won, Dr. Freedman." Livi shouts out. Cooper gives the little girl a high five.
"What would you like for a prize sir?" The carnival worker points to a row of stuffed animals.
"What do you like, Livi?" Cooper asks the little girl.
"I can't have anymore stuffed animals. Mr. bear will get jealous. He's the only one for me." She answers.
"Okay Char. You pick one then." Cooper pulls her over to the game counter.
"I like the monkey." Charlotte tries to point out a stuffed monkey. Her arms are still full.
The attendant hands her the monkey. "You can call him Mr. Monkey. He can be Mr. Bear's friend." Livi yells out excited.
"Good idea." Charlotte tells her as she admires the soft cuddly monkey with extra long arms.
"Can we go on that ride now?" Livi points out a musical ride that spins around fast.
"I love that ride." Cooper agrees. The three of them head over to the ride.
"Let me get in the seat first and then you Char. Keep Livi on the outside. The gravity will to push you into my end of the seat."
" Coop, I've been on rides before." Charotte looks at him as they climb into the car of the ride.
The music starts and the ride begins. Cooper grabs Charlotte's hand and she squeezes it tight. The ride moves faster and faster, whipping around in circles. Charlotte suddenly feels something warm and wet on her chest. She looks at Livi who's wearing a sick face. "Stop the ride!" Charlotte shouts to the ride operator. The ride stops and Livi looks horrified. Charlotte looks down at the regurgitated popcorn, sno cone and hot dog mess on her shirt. Livi starts to cry.
"Okay come on. Let's find a bathroom". Cooper hurries them out of the ride.
Cooper carries Livi and they rush to the closest bathroom. "I gotta clean myself up." Charlotte tells him as she goes in.
"Charlotte. You have to help Livi clean up too. I can't go in the ladies room."
"Fine. Come on." Charlotte tells the little girl. Livi can see Charlotte's annoyed.
Charlotte grabs a bunch of paper towels and wipes off the mess on Livi's shirt. "You only got a little bit on your shirt. Most of it's on me. Why are you cryin'?" Charlotte says to Livi.
"I didn't mean to do that to you. I don't know why it went on you more than me." The little red head girl says through tears.
"It's okay. It was from the gravity that it got on me.. ..I know you didn't do it on purpose." Charlotte looks in the mirror at her shirt and tries her best to clean it off with wet paper towels." I don't think I can fix this." She says. "I'm a mess."
The little girl starts crying again.
"It's okay." Charlotte tells her. "Here, rinse out your mouth." She shows the little girl how to cup her hands under the faucet and splash the water in her mouth. "Keep doin' it until your mouth feels clean." Charlotte explains and then goes back to cleaning her mess of a shirt.
At that point, Cooper calls into the ladies room. "Char, Livi, Can one of come here?"
"I'll go." Livi runs out of the bathroom to Cooper.
Cooper hands her a plastic bag. Livi looks inside and finds two neon green t shirts with ponies on them.
"One for you and one for Dr. Joey." Cooper tells her.
"Yay!" Livi says. "Dr. Joey's going to be so happy" She runs to give Charlotte the shirt.
Charlotte takes the shirt and looks at it. "Anything is better than what I got on now." Charlotte and Livi put on their matching neon green t-shirts and walk out of the bathroom to see Cooper. Charlotte raises her eyebrows up at Cooper as he laughs at the pink and purple ponies on her shirt.
"I got it at a little souveinier stand. It's not like I had much of a selection." Cooper chuckles.
"Where's Mr. Bear?!" Livi yells out in a panic.
"When was the last time you saw him?" Cooper asks.
"Dr. Joey was holding him." They look to Charlotte. Livi is starting to cry again.
Charlotte's heart drops to her stomach. "I must have left him on the ride with Mr. Monkey."
"I want Mr. Bear." Livi's crying.
"I'll find him. You girls wait here at the bench." Cooper walks with a fast pace towards the last ride they were on. The one Livi barfed on.
Livi's sobbing now. Charlotte sits on the bench and holds the girl on her lap trying to console her. "Mr. Bear's on the ride. Cooper will find him." Charlotte rubs Livi's back. Livi leans her head on Charlotte's chest
"Mr. Bear must be scared. He's never been alone at a carnival before." Livi sniffles.
"Ya know what I think?" Charlotte asks her.
"What?" Livi looks up.
"I bet he's having himself a good ole' time spinning around on that ride with Mr. Monkey."
"Really?" Livi asks wiping away her tears.
"I know it." Charlotte answers and then gives the little girl a kiss on her forehead. It felt like something that needed to be done. Something Cooper would've done if he was the one holding Livi.
Cooper sneaks up behind them and using a deep throaty bear voice says "Are you looking for me?" He hands Mr. Bear to Livi. Livi gets up and gives Cooper a big hug. Cooper then looks at Charlotte and says in a high pitched monkey voice. "Were you looking for me?" He hands her Mr. Monkey. Charlotte wraps her arms around Cooper and whispers in his ear. Thank you. You'll be rewarded later.
"Oooh. I like that." Cooper pats her bottom. Charlotte slaps his arm.
"Children around." She reminds.
"Can we go on the Merry-Go-Round again?" Livi asks excited.
"One more time and then we're leavin'." Charlotte tells her.
Cooper and Livi climb onto some horses on the ride. Charlotte decides to watch them and take a few pictures while she holds Mr. Bear and Mr. Monkey, tight this time.
The ride starts. Charlotte begins snapping pictures while Cooper and Livi wave each time they pass by. "What a beautiful family you have." An old woman standing next to her comments. Charlotte says "Thank you" rather than explaining who everyone was.
"Enjoy it while you're young dear. Time flies fast." The old woman tells her.
Charlotte smiles at the woman. It feels good playing family with Cooper and Livi.
After, Charlotte and Cooper drop Livi off at home with Jack . They decide to go to Cooper's apartment to relax. It's bittersweet for Charlotte. It's the first time she's been to the apartment since Cooper kicked her out of his life. Charlotte takes off her shoes and heads for the couch. She plops down with her head resting on one armrest and her legs stretched out to the armrest at the other end. "I'm exhausted." She yawns. Cooper walks over to her. Charlotte tells him "She barfed all over me." Charlotte bursts out laughing. "Hee, hee, giggle, snort,snort." It's an infectious laugh because Cooper starts laughing too. Still laughing Charlotte blurts out 'Then she gives me this bright green shirt to wear with pink and purple ponies on it." Charlotte starts laughing harder. Cooper drops down on the couch with her, laughing. After she composes herself Charlotte says. "I'd make a terrible mother. I let her eat that popcorn and throw up. Next, I lose her teddy bear."
"Charlotte, you're going to be a great mom. I saw you on the bench with her. The popcorn was my fault. I talked you into letting her have it. I rushed you off the ride so you forgot the bear. It was me not you."
"You're great with kids." Charlotte tells him.
"You are too, Charlotte." He kisses her nose then says. "I had a great day with you and Livi. I want more days like this."
"Me too." Charlotte agrees. "We'll have to ask Jack to borrow Livi until........." Charlotte stops.
"Finish, Charlotte. Until what? What were you going to say?"
"Uhm......Nothing." Charlotte answers.
"Tell me." Cooper says "Or else, I'll tickle it out of you." Cooper starts tickling her feet.
"I don't want to tell you." Charlotte giggles as he tickles her toes
"You were going to say until we had kids of our own. Weren't you?" Cooper's tickling her belly now. Charlotte laughs and he tickles her harder. "I'm not going to stop until you tell me."
"Okay okay." Charlotte's still laughing. "Yes. Until we have our own kids."
Cooper stops tickling her. "Aha. I thought so." He leans into her and presses his lips into hers. He lets go, he raises his eyebrows and asks. "When can we start?"
"Not tonight." Charlotte answers. "But we can practice."
"Good." Cooper says as he starts to kiss her again.