Page 23 of I Loved You First

“Sure.” Cam took the dinosaur as he kept his son’s hand in his. “I didn’t realize he was such a smooth operator.”

Fiona laughed as she accepted Brady’s opposite hand. “You can be whatever you want when you’re adorable.”

Cam chuckled as they began to walk. “I imagine this isn’t how you planned to spend your day.”

She shrugged. “I didn’t have any solid plans. This is a nice surprise.”

They turned the corner at the end of the block, and all three of them looked up when a sheep bleated in the distance and the smell of livestock became apparent.

Sheep and goats of various sizes and several pot-bellied pigs wandered around the temporary pens set up under a large tent as children and adults fed and touched the animals.

“The petting zoo,” Fiona said. “Should we go say hello?”

Brady shook his head as he took a step back.

Fiona’s brow furrowed as she looked at Cam.

“We had an incident last year. One of the goats knocked him over. He hasn’t been a fan ever since.”

Cam knelt next to his son as Brady eyed the animals. “You know, you’re a lot bigger than you were last year.”

Brady shook his head. “I don’t want to pet them.”

Fiona joined them, crouching at Brady’s level, hooking her arm around his waist. “I heard you had a situation with a goat.”

Brady nodded. “Yeah.”

“I bet that felt pretty scary.”

Brady nodded again.

“It’s a bummer that happened because it’s pretty fun to pet and feed the animals.”

Brady sighed. “Yeah.”

“When I was your age—whenever I felt nervous or scared—my mom would say magic words that helped me feel brave.”

Brady frowned as he looked at her. “Magic words?”

Fiona nodded. “They felt like magic to me. Do you want to hear them?”

Brady nodded enthusiastically.

“This magic works by believing the words as you say them,” she said as she captured both of his hands.

Brady’s frown returned. “That sounds like weird magic.”

Fiona laughed. “Let’s see what you think.” She cleared her throat, growing serious again. “I’m smart, and I’m brave. I can do anything. When I think that I can’t, I’m going to try anyway.”

She gave his hands another gentle squeeze. “Will you say them with me?”

Brady nodded. “I’m smart, and I’m brave,” they said together. “I can do anything. When I think that I can’t, I’m going to try anyway.”

“One more time,” Fiona said, repeating the words with Brady with more conviction. “Do you feel braver?”

He grinned. “Yup.”

“Will you come say hello to the goats with me? They have some miniature ones right over there in the corner that seem pretty cute.” She pointed to the closest corner of the fence. “And the pigs don’t look too big. They look like babies, really.”