It was kids' fishing day at the local park. The pond had been stocked with perch and families brought their children for a day of outdoor fun. Booth was teaching Christine the finer points of angling.
"Christine, you have to be careful with fishhooks because they're sharp, okay? Now, we put the worm on like this..."
"Daddy, doesn't that hurt the worm if the hook is sharp?" Christine had tears in her eyes.
"I don't think worms can feel it." A white lie….but Booth didn't want to upset his little girl.
"Daddy, why do fish eat worms? Worms are yucky and swishy." Christine grimaced as she wiped her hands on her shirt, trying to get the worm slime off.
"I don't know. They just do. Here...put your bait in the water and watch the bobber. When the bobber goes under water, pull real hard."
"Daddy, if I catch a fish, can we eat it? I like to eat fish. Mommy says fish is good for our brains."
"I think these fish are kinda small. We'd probably have to catch a lot of them to have enough for dinner. Hey….where's your bobber? Better pull up your line!"
Christine yanked hard on her pole and pulled a small perch out of the water. "Daddy, Daddy!" she squealed, jumping up and down. "I caught one! Look, I caught one! Can we keep him, Daddy?"
Booth looked at the tiny fish on the end of the line, and at his excited daughter, trying not to laugh. "Sweetheart, that fish is too little to keep. We better send him home to his mommy, okay? Maybe the next one will be bigger."
"Maybe I can catch a whale! Fishing is fun, isn't it?"
Booth smiled, imagining fishing trips with his daughter. "Yeah, Sweetheart. Fishing is lots of fun."