“Don’t act so innocent. You have even less control than I do when it comes to your boys… plus it’s our job to spoil them.”
He sighed dreamily, “I hope we find them soon… I’m tired ofbeing the only pretty face around here.” I shook my head as I grabbed a piece of garlic bread, moaning when the garlic buttery goodness hit my tongue.
3
Tristan
“Okay, I think that’s everything.” I clapped my hands together as I looked at our table, making sure everything was in its place. We had two racks off to the side that held Ellery’s dresses and skirts; beside it was our table, which had all my plushies on display, ready to find their new homes.
I walked to the other side of the table, where we had another clothes rack holding a small selection of blankets I had made. Ilooked approvingly at the blankets, ensuring that they were all on their hangers and weren’t at risk of falling off.
“Ellie, can you make sure the card reader is hooked up to the tablet?”
The doors to the fair were about to open, and I wanted to ensure everything was ready.
“All systems are a go, captain!” Ellery stood behind the table, stifling a giggle as they saluted.
Shortly after the doors opened, people started to fill the large room. It took a bit longer for the crowds to reach us since our booth was located in the back. “Mama, look!” A little girl pulled her mother’s hand, pointing at the pink character plush on the table.
I loved playing video games and watching cartoons, so a lot of my work consisted of characters I wanted to recreate. I preferred using plush blanket yarn because it was so soft, but unfortunately, that limited what I could make.
“He’s super cool, right?”
“He is! Did you make him?” She bounced up and down, holding her mother’s hand.
“I did, I made the plushies, and they made the pretty dresses.” I pointed to Ellery.
“That’s so cool! Mama, can I buy him… Please?”
The little girl looked up at her mom with puppy-dog eyes, swaying back and forth, trying to contain her excitement.
“Yes, hon, you can buy him.”
She leans down, whispering something in her ear, and the little girl’s face instantly becomes super focused. She straightens her posture, looking very serious.
“I would like to buy him. How much is he?
I put my thumb and forefinger on my chin as I pretended to be deep in thought, making her giggle at my dramatics.
“Hmm, fifteen dollars.”
Her mother handed her the card and helped her swipe it as she giggled excitedly, trying her hardest to focus on the task.
“All good to go! Here you go, sweetie.” She reached out with grabby hands as I handed her the plush.
“Thank you! I’m gonna give him so many hugs.” I smiled brightly; her excitement must have been contagious.
“Well, you’re in luck; he happens to love hugs. I hope you have a great first day together!”
My smile never left my face as the mother led them away to the next vendor. Seeing my customers’ joy was my favorite part about making my adorable plushies. Since our store was online, I didn’t often get to see their happiness firsthand, so when I did, I loved it.
The next few hours flew by as more and more customers stopped by to purchase their new stuffie or dress. Thankfully, no one had purchased Ember yet. I knew I was supposed to want him tofind his new home, but I secretly hoped I could be his new home instead.
“Tristan… I’m hungry,” Ellery whined as we both sat down after helping our last customer. We had eaten some of the snacks I had packed, but my stomach rumbled, and it was definitely time for something heavier.
“Me too, I think I saw a fast food place nearby. Do you want to stay here and watch over things while I grab us lunch?”
Ellery thrived on the hustle and bustle of the event, but I found the sheer number of people and noise overwhelming. I was looking forward to some quiet time in my car while getting our food.
