"Julio!" Leonard’s voice rang through the bustling air of the amusent park, the sound of his shout nearly lost in the mix of laughter, music, and chanical rumbling of nearby rides. "Wait, Julio!"
The small boy ahead turned with a cheeky grin, his sneakers thudding lightly against the pavent as he waved his arm over his head without slowing down. "Co on, Uncle Leo!"
Leonard exhaled sharply through his nose, lengthening his steps. "If you run off like that again and get lost, I’m just going ho. You hear ?"
Julio stopped abruptly in front of a brightly colored hot dog stand, the scent of grilled onions and sizzling sausage already teasing their noses. He turned around and pouted, lips pushing out dramatically. "You wouldn’t be that an," he said with mock hurt in his voice.
Leonard caught up and placed a hand around Julio’s shoulder, pulling him into a half-hug with one arm as they stood together in the growing line. His palm rested atop Julio’s shoulder while he let out a soft chuckle, voice low. "Try , kid."
Julio giggled under his breath, already distracted by the oversized hot dog posters plastered to the cart windows.
Leonard watched the boy for a mont, then allowed his gaze to wander. He noticed a sar of ketchup on Julio’s cheek and reached out instinctively to rub it off with his thumb.
This day had been long overdue.
A few weeks ago, when Julio had officially been accepted into kindergarten, the little boy had puffed his chest with pride and asked for just one thing, a trip to the amusent park. Leonard, being Leonard, had tried to offer him toys, candy, a fancy al.
But no.
Julio had been firm. "A park day. With you."
So here they were. A rare feat.
He was not a fan of crowds. The noise, the lines, the overwhelming mix of people jostling and shouting in all directions—it frayed his nerves. But for Julio? He could handle it. Just for today.
Once they got their food and stepped off to the side, they found a shaded bench tucked behind a popcorn stand, away from the heavy foot traffic. Julio munched enthusiastically on his hot dog, swinging his legs while Leonard just nursed a bottle of water.
"Uncle Leo," Julio spoke around a mouthful, "it would be even more fun if Nathan and Maya were here too."
Leonard gave a soft hum in agreent, glancing over as a smile tugged at the edge of his mouth. "Yeah, it would."
He thought about the twins. Over the few tis he’d seen them—mostly from school pickups or short interactions—he had grown a strange fondness for them. There was sothing lively, magnetic even, about their energy. And oddly, they reminded him of himself when he was younger. Mischievous. Stubborn. Bright.
He didn’t say any of that out loud though.
"Maybe next ti," Leonard said, ruffling Julio’s hair.
Once Julio finished his food and wiped his hands on a napkin (mostly missing his fingers), they continued walking through the park. Leonard followed behind at a comfortable pace, letting the boy lead for once.
Then he saw her.
Katherine.
It was like his feet hit a patch of invisible glue. His steps halted, and he stood frozen for half a breath too long.
There she was, only about fifteen or twenty feet away.
And she wasn’t alone.
Felix was with her.
They were standing near a cotton candy stall. Katherine had her head tilted back, laughing—really laughing, the kind that brought out dimples in her cheeks. Felix said sothing then, and Katherine laughed again, brushing hair behind her ear, her headband glittering in the fading light.
Leonard turned so fast his body jerked with the motion.
"Let’s go this way," he muttered sharply to Julio, steering him in the opposite direction.
Julio looked confused. "But the roller coaster’s that way—"
"I said this way." Leonard didn’t look back. His voice ca tight, controlled.
He led Julio deeper into another section of the park, where the lights hadn’t turned on yet, and the area was noticeably quieter. Rides here were more relaxed—like bumper boats and balloon-popping gas. Leonard tried to focus, really tried, but his mind buzzed with static.
Did Felix ask her out on a date?
The thought soured sothing inside him. Bitterness crawled up like an itch he couldn’t scratch.
An amusent park? Seriously?
Felix was supposed to be the classy one. Sophisticated. Calculated. A man like him should’ve taken her to an art gallery or one of those pretentious chef’s tasting dinners—not so childish funhouse filled with sticky fingers and overpriced foods and souvenirs.
Leonard scoffed softly under his breath.
Katherine deserved better.
And yet... she had looked happy.
He hated how that detail stuck out the most.
The sky was beginning to dip into a deeper shade of blue, tinged with hints of orange near the horizon. The air still held the warmth of the day, but it was softer now.
Leonard sat on a stone bench near the restrooms while Julio ran off to use the bathroom. He sat hunched forward, elbows on his knees, bottle of water resting between his hands as his mind swirled in a storm of unwelco thoughts.
He didn’t know when the shift happened—when his thoughts started lingering on her longer than they should. When her smile beca sothing he waited for. When her laugh beca sothing he asured the silence against.
His jaw clenched.
"Uncle Leo!" Julio’s voice rang again, jolting him out of his trance. The little boy ca jogging back toward him.
Leonard stood, stretching slightly. "Ready to go ho?"
"Yeah," Julio nodded, then suddenly pointed across the pathway. "Hey—that’s Nathan!"
Leonard turned his head toward the direction Julio was pointing.
And then he saw him.
Nathan.
Their eyes t.
For a second, neither of them moved.
Leonard’s expression froze in surprise, a strange tightness in his chest. Nathan’s brows rose, as if trying to register if he was seeing correctly.
They locked eyes.
And everything else—the noise, the lights, the crowd—blurred away.
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