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I give her a reassuring smile. “Then we answer them honestly. We have nothing to hide, Sarah.”
Timmy tugs at Mrs. Carolyn's hand, returning our attention to him. “Can we play that game? The one with the balloons?”
Mrs. Carolyn looks back at us, and I nod. “Sure, buddy. Let’s go give it a try.”
We go to the balloon dart game, where Timmy eagerly steps up to the counter. The carnival worker hands him a set of darts, and he carefully aims before throwing his first dart. It misses, but he’s undeterred and quickly tries again.
Sarah leans closer to me, her voice barely above a whisper. “What if someone recognizes Timmy from town and starts gossiping?”
I wrap an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. “Let them talk. We’re here for Timmy, and nothing else matters.”
Timmy’s face lights up as he finally hits one of the balloons, popping it with a satisfying burst. The carnival worker hands him a small stuffed animal as a prize, and Timmy clutches it to his chest, beaming with pride.
“Look, Dad! I did it!” he exclaims, running over to show us.
I ruffle his hair affectionately. “You sure did, champ. Great job.”
We continue to wander around the carnival, stopping occasionally to let Timmy try his hand at different games or to grab a tasty treat. Despite her initial apprehension, Sarah starts to relax, her smiles becoming more frequent and genuine as the afternoon wears on.
As we approach a stand selling cotton candy, Timmy tugs on Sarah’s sleeve. “Can we get some, Miss Sarah?”
She glances at me in surprise that Timmy's asking her permission, and I nod. “Of course, Timmy. Let’s get some for everyone.”
We stand in line, and I can't help but feel a sense of pride. I feel like a real family at this moment, and I will forever cherish it.
We’re finishing our cotton candy when I see Jake approaching with Mia and their kids. Jake’s got that familiar swagger, and Mia’s carrying their newborn, Faith, nestled in her arms. Emily and Dylan, their older kids, run ahead, their laughter mingling with the carnival noise.
“Jake! Mia!” I call out, waving them over.
Jake reaches us first and wraps Sarah in a big bear hug. “Sis! It’s great to see you!” He turns to me and gives me a hearty handshake. “Tyler, good to see you, man.”
“Good to see you too, Jake,” I say, returning his handshake with a genuine grin. “Mia, the baby looks adorable.”
“Thank you, Tyler,” Mia responds warmly, adjusting the blanket around Faith’s tiny face.
I place a hand on Timmy’s shoulder and steer him forward. “Jake, Mia, this is Timmy, my son.”
Jake’s eyes widen with surprise, and he looks from Timmy to me and back again. “Your son? I had no idea, Tyler. It’s wonderful to meet you, Timmy.” He extends a hand down to my boy and gives him the biggest smile.
Timmy shakes Jake’s hand timidly but can’t hide his beaming face. “Nice to meet you,” Timmy replies.
“And this is Mrs. Carolyn,” I continue. “She’s been Timmy’s nanny since... well, forever it feels like.”
Mrs. Carolyn politely nods and smiles at everyone. “It's a pleasure to meet all of you,” she says.
Jake glances at Sarah, then back at me. “Man, you’ve got a whole little family going on, huh?”
“Yeah,” I nod, feeling a swirl of emotions.
“I’d like you to meet someone, Timmy. This is Dylan,” Jake says as he gestures to his son, who’s about the same age as Timmy. “And this is Emily,” Jake points to the shy little girl standing close to Mia.
Dylan steps forward and gives Timmy a curious look before smiling. “Hey, Timmy. Wanna go check out some more games?”
Timmy glances up at me, waiting for permission. I nod. “Go ahead, champ. Have fun.”
Emily joins in, her eyes twinkling with excitement. “Come on, I know the perfect game we can play!”
"Wait, I'll go with you-" Jake starts to say, before the kids start running, their laughter echoing in the air. He grins at Sarah with this teasing glint as he slings an arm around his sister's shoulders. "Seems like you're about to discover what being a parent is all about."
