"You mean thebus?" He laughed. "It doesn't go by the apartment, unfortunately."
"Daddy, feet tired," Andrew complained. He accentuated this claim by dragging his shoes along the pavement.
I reached down and scooped him up, placing him on my shoulders. "Let's let your feet take a rest."
Andrew perked up instantly, throwing his arms in the air. "Yay! I love Yooshy!"
Ryan and I beamed at each other.
"Are you really okay to carry him all the way there?" He paused, then answered his own question. "Never mind, I just remembered the way you picked up Ms. Smith's wheelchair. I think you'll be fine."
Finally, he was getting the picture. "Thank you for having a little faith in me."
When we arrived at the so-called big-box store, my mind was blown. Not only did they sell boxes and strollers, but a plethora of other items as well.
It wasn't often that I stepped foot into human stores. My home was quite bare, having only the essentials, and most of my belongings were gifted to me by Darcy. He always made such a fuss when he came over and saw the lack of belongings. He could be such a drama dragon. On the other hand, I found his hoard cluttered, but since it was a cultural aspect I held my tongue.
"Is this a portal to some personal possession dimension?" I asked in awe. "They have everything here."
Ryan winked. "And all at an affordable price!"
"Go down, Yooshy!" Andrew said.
I let him down and he instantly took off like a rocket, trundling towards the closest colourful aisle as fast as his feet would take him.
"He gets a little excited here," Ryan explained.
"I do not blame him."
Ryan took my hand. His grip was warm and soft. "Come on, don't get lost. The baby stuff is this way."
There was no doubt in my mind that Iwouldhave gotten lost without Ryan holding on to me. He expertly wrangled Andrew as well so that our group didn't split apart and disappear into the big box void.
The baby aisle was lit up in pastel colors. Everywhere I looked, something drew my eye. It was impossible to get bored in a place like this.
Andrew had the same idea. As soon as Ryan plopped him in front of a display of toys, the little boy was completely content.
Ryan pointed out the display right beside it, which was full of necessary baby items. In a softer voice, he said to me, "We're gonna need all the stuff for the next one."
I smiled, putting my hand on the small of his back. "Of course. Whatever you say we need, consider it bought. It's not like I have anything else to spend my ridiculous amount of currency on anyway."
"You must have a really good job, huh?"
"Oh, not at all. In fact, I do not hold one."
Ryan stared at me, his eyes practically falling out of his head. "Er, then how do you have so much money, if you don't mind my asking?"
Understanding the human obsession with jobs and currency had always eluded me. I didn't know if it was because I was a unicorn or a shifter or some other reason.
"We unicorns don't value physical possessions, like say, dragons do," I said.
Ryan sputtered. "Wait, there aredragons?"
"Of course. Do you remember my friend Darcy?"
"He was a... Oh my god." He let out a breathless laugh, running a hand through his hair. "Okay, I guess that's just a piece of knowledge that I have now. Anyway, go on."
"I suspect you'll find my home quite barren when it comes to items," I said. "In any case, my funds come from selling magic to other shifters. Mostly the ones with common animal forms, but some mythical shifters as well. I don't desire anything that they have to offer me in return, so when I tell them I live among humans, they end up giving me human currency. And since I don't spend any of it, it piles up."
