She used Ithal’s com to find them and walked up to Vaken with a smile.He grinned.“I forgot to duck.”
“May I fix it?”
He nodded.“I don’t want to freak my mom out.”
“That’s fine.But you need to tell her what happened.No hiding.”
He said, “You won’t get in trouble?”
“No.Your mom has a right to know.So does any other adult in your life.”
She touched his little hand and smiled.“How does that feel?”
He wrinkled his upper lip and wiggled his nose.“It feels good.Did you fix it?”
“I did.Now I am going to clean your shirt.”
She pursed her lips, and a column of glitter moved over his shirt and neck and chin, and the blood disappeared.He grinned.“Sparkles.”
“Yup.There.Now you are all in fighting form.Now, when the activity says twelve and up, it means twelve and up.”
He looked sheepish.“I thought I could do it.”
“Yes, well, in a few years, you might, but for now, your nose is right in line with one of the spinning blocks.”
“But it looks so fun.”
“Yes, but it is for people ten inches taller than you are.”
Vaken sighed.“I get that.”
“Good.Take a break.Have some snacks.Get Sorooth breathing again, and let Kessie pick dessert.She looks like she takes it seriously.”
Kessie grinned.“It was so cool.He went flying.”
Diena laughed.“I will check the surveillance.It should be interesting.”
Ithal looked at her and sighed.“I didn’t know he followed me in.”
“Oh.I see now.Well, you go have a break as well, and then you guys can try to beat the climbing wall.”
Ithal smiled.“Will you come with us?”
“Well, I suppose I deserve some kind of nugget.”
He grinned and took her hand.They walked to the food court, and the new nugget selection was available with dipping sauces.Ithal and Diena agreed that the spicy sauce was shocking but nice.The mustard dill sauce was the best.
Keska looked around.“We did good.This place is hopping, and it’s a weekday.”
“Yeah, well, we are going to need local school days off on a big ass calendar so that we don’t encourage truancy.I think if we shift our opening times from one to eight on weekdays and nine to eight on weekends, we should be good.”She took the nugget in spicy sauce that Ithal held up to her.
“Longer hours for summer break.”Keska nodded.
“Of course.Monthly passes?”
Diena cocked her head.“Numbered visit passes so one kid can bring friends on the same visit.”
Keska smiled.“Annual family passes.”
