She huffed, then nodded half-heartedly, her fingers tightening around mine like she was afraid I’d stall too long.
I walked over to my coworkers. They immediately gathered around Haille, some crouching to greet her, others complimenting her dress.
“Hi, princess,” one of them laughed.
“Hiii,” Haille replied softly, her eyes already drifting back to the slide.
After a brief round of small talk, I chose a spot on the grass with other coworkers who had brought their kids too. Strollers, diaper bags, picnic mats, and water bottles were scattered neatly around.
I set my bag down, and before I could even sit comfortably, Haille tugged on my arm again.
“Mommy... now?” she asked hopefully.
I laughed. “Okay, okay.”
She cheered quietly. “Yaaay!”
Then she dragged me forward, her little steps quick and excited, her light-up shoes blinking with every step.
When she realized I was guiding her past the inflatable slide and toward the smaller playground instead, she stopped short and protested immediately.
“Nooo, mommy…” she whined, tugging at my hand.
I crouched beside her, pointing toward the shorter slide nearby—the one clearly meant for kids her age. “That one first, okay? Look, you can climb it all by yourself.”
She hesitated, eyes flicking between the big inflatable and the smaller slide. Then I added softly, “And afterward, we’ll get snacks.”
That did it.
Her pout softened, and she nodded reluctantly, letting me lead her again, already distracted by the colorful steps and the other kids playing nearby.
After a while—long enough for her energy to burn off a little—I heard someone call my name.
“Elena!”
I turned to see Jessica approaching, holding the hand of a small brown-haired boy with chubby cheeks.
“Want to do face painting?” she asked brightly. “Leo really wants to.”
Her son nodded enthusiastically. “I wanna be dinosauuur!”
I turned to Haille, “Haille, do you want to do face painting with Leo?”
Haille stopped and looked at Leo, then turned to me. “Yess,” she said immediately.
Jessica laughed. “See? Let’s go.”
The kids grabbed each other’s hands and walked ahead like old friends, even though they’d just met. Jessica and I followed behind, laughing at the sight.
“They’re so cute,” she said. “Should we be worried?”
I laughed softly. “You’re thinking way too far ahead.”
Jessica grinned. “I’m just saying… I see potential.”
I just shook my head and smiled, letting the moment pass as I enjoyed the kids’ laughter and a day that felt light.
After face painting, all our stomachs started protesting. The smell of food from the catering area grew stronger, mixing with laughter and soft music.
