“Now I feel the need to try and impress you and show you I can win my son a stuffed animal.”
Max giggles next to me. “I really want the big tomato.”
“A tomato? Why do you want a tomato?” I ask.
“Dunno.”
It’s directly in his line of sight, so my guess is that’s why.
Sam looks from Max to the stuffed vegetable in question. “That’s pretty big. Do you have room for it at home?”
He nods. “He can sit with my other stuffies.”
“How many do you have?” Sam asks.
“Five.” Max holds up four fingers.
My sweet boy. Still learning how to do some things.
“Okay. As long as you have room, I will win you that tomato,” Sam says.
“Yes!”
Max runs back up to the counter of the basketball game, leaving me and the elephant ear behind. Sam follows him as I clean up.
I hang back a bit, watching as Sam passes over a twenty and is given a basketball to try and make as many shots as he can. Max is staring up at him like he’s the best thing he’s ever seen.
Kid isn’t wrong.
Not only does he make the first one, but he keeps sinking them. Max is cheering him on as I shake my head.
“Congratulations,” the woman says. “You can pick anything you’d like.”
She waves her hand above her head to the hanging toys.
“The tomato!” Max jumps up and down. “Tomato! Tomato! Tomato!”
“Are you trying to show me up?” I laugh as Max is handed his prize.
“You’re better than Mommy,” Max says, squeezing his toy to his chest. A silly smile is on his face.
“Hey. Don’t squeeze that tomato too hard.” I tickle his side. “You don’t want tomato juice everywhere.”
He giggles some more before turning his attention to Sam. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Very good manners,” Sam says to me.
I stand, grabbing Max’s hand.
“I try.”
“You’re doing good,” Sam reiterates with a wink.
I wish I could say it didn’t twist up my insides with that small gesture, but it does. It never hurts to hear how you’re doing as a parent. Especially since I’m doing it all on my own.
“Do you want to ride rides with us?” Max asks.
“I think Sam has other places to be,” I say.
