Q & A #35
"I want to go on the roller coaster. Can I? Please?" Meredith looked up with pleading eyes.
Xander clasped his little friend's hand tightly. "I don't think so, Tim. Mommy wouldn't be too happy with me if you came home all loopty looped." He pointed to the carousel. "How about that?"
She tugged at his hand. "Horsies." She pulled him to the entrance. Fortunately, the lineups for the more sedate rides weren't as long.
He picked her up in his arms as they waited. "Having fun, kid?"
"Yes." She put her arms around his neck. "Thank you, Uncle Xander."
"Any time, kid." He pulled the strip of tickets out of his pocket and handed her one. "Guess your mom wasn't up for the rides today."
"Mommy says they would make her throw up." She laughed. "Silly Mommy. She throws up anyway."
"I know, kid. Par for the course." For a short line, it didn't seem to be moving. "Guess your dad would have liked to take you."
"Daddy doesn't like the daytime." She smiled as the ride started moving, the sound of the calliope singing across the park. "We can go on soon, right?"
"Right."
"Daddy says the nighttime is not for little girls. He says things go bump at night." Her expression was puzzled. "What's 'go bump'? Like the bumper cars?"
"Not exactly. But your Daddy's right. This isn't a little girl place at night, not in Sunnydale." The carousel stopped and the children ran off. The line moved into the enclosure, and they gave their tickets to the attendant. Xander placed Meredith on the white pony with gold traces, making sure that it was one that would go up and down. He stood beside her, holding her as the ride started.
She squealed with delight as the painted horse rose and fell. She held tight to the bar and leaned back, his arms ready to catch her if need be. She felt like she was flying.
Xander watched the child, delight beaming on her face. For a second he pretended that she was his. That he had a wife at home waiting for them. But too soon the music stopped and the horse eased down again.
He picked Meredith off the saddle and walked her out the exit. "That was so fun, Uncle Xander."
He looked down at her smiling face. "Yeah, it was." They walked together into the park, and he pointed to a concession booth. "Hey, kid. Want some cotton candy?"
"Ooh, yes please." She ran ahead of him, watching the girl behind the counter spin the sugar around the cone. Xander paid her, and handed Meredith the confection, pulling off a chunk for himself. Impossibly sweet, it melted in their mouths. "It tastes like a cloud," the little girl exclaimed.
"Guess it does." The walked towards the game booths. "Come on, I'll win you a teddy bear." More dollars than he cared to admit later, he had. He then faced the task of juggling the large toy and the tired little girl.
"Uncle Xander," she said quietly, drifting off. "I know a secret."
"Gonna tell? Cause secrets, hard to keep."
"Auntie Willow loves you."
He smiled. "Not much of a secret, kid. I love Auntie Willow. Love you too."
"No," she said, snuggling in his arms, her head on the bear, sticky cheeks adhering to the fur, "Auntie Willow 'loves' you."
"What do ...?" But she couldn't explain. She was asleep.
"I want to go on the roller coaster. Can I? Please?" Meredith looked up with pleading eyes.
Xander clasped his little friend's hand tightly. "I don't think so, Tim. Mommy wouldn't be too happy with me if you came home all loopty looped." He pointed to the carousel. "How about that?"
She tugged at his hand. "Horsies." She pulled him to the entrance. Fortunately, the lineups for the more sedate rides weren't as long.
He picked her up in his arms as they waited. "Having fun, kid?"
"Yes." She put her arms around his neck. "Thank you, Uncle Xander."
"Any time, kid." He pulled the strip of tickets out of his pocket and handed her one. "Guess your mom wasn't up for the rides today."
"Mommy says they would make her throw up." She laughed. "Silly Mommy. She throws up anyway."
"I know, kid. Par for the course." For a short line, it didn't seem to be moving. "Guess your dad would have liked to take you."
"Daddy doesn't like the daytime." She smiled as the ride started moving, the sound of the calliope singing across the park. "We can go on soon, right?"
"Right."
"Daddy says the nighttime is not for little girls. He says things go bump at night." Her expression was puzzled. "What's 'go bump'? Like the bumper cars?"
"Not exactly. But your Daddy's right. This isn't a little girl place at night, not in Sunnydale." The carousel stopped and the children ran off. The line moved into the enclosure, and they gave their tickets to the attendant. Xander placed Meredith on the white pony with gold traces, making sure that it was one that would go up and down. He stood beside her, holding her as the ride started.
She squealed with delight as the painted horse rose and fell. She held tight to the bar and leaned back, his arms ready to catch her if need be. She felt like she was flying.
Xander watched the child, delight beaming on her face. For a second he pretended that she was his. That he had a wife at home waiting for them. But too soon the music stopped and the horse eased down again.
He picked Meredith off the saddle and walked her out the exit. "That was so fun, Uncle Xander."
He looked down at her smiling face. "Yeah, it was." They walked together into the park, and he pointed to a concession booth. "Hey, kid. Want some cotton candy?"
"Ooh, yes please." She ran ahead of him, watching the girl behind the counter spin the sugar around the cone. Xander paid her, and handed Meredith the confection, pulling off a chunk for himself. Impossibly sweet, it melted in their mouths. "It tastes like a cloud," the little girl exclaimed.
"Guess it does." The walked towards the game booths. "Come on, I'll win you a teddy bear." More dollars than he cared to admit later, he had. He then faced the task of juggling the large toy and the tired little girl.
"Uncle Xander," she said quietly, drifting off. "I know a secret."
"Gonna tell? Cause secrets, hard to keep."
"Auntie Willow loves you."
He smiled. "Not much of a secret, kid. I love Auntie Willow. Love you too."
"No," she said, snuggling in his arms, her head on the bear, sticky cheeks adhering to the fur, "Auntie Willow 'loves' you."
"What do ...?" But she couldn't explain. She was asleep.