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The late afternoon sun was hot as the little family walked through the amusement park. It was a crowded place. Groups weaved past them carrying all kinds of snacks, treats, and prizes, screams of laughter could be heard all around. Overall, it was not a place Joan Ferguson ever thought she’d set foot in and had never wanted to. Until now.
For her girls, she would do anything, including brave the sticky heat, unsanitary conditions, and the cacophony of sounds and smells that the park brought.
“Please, Mummy! Mumma? One more? Please!”Grace looked up between Joan and Vera, who smiled down at the 7-year-old
“Alright, Gracie, one more, then home; it’s almost dinner,” Vera said.
“I want to ride that one!” She grinned, pointing to the only roller coaster in the children’s section of the park. It would be her first roller coaster, Vera thought with a smile
Joan paled. “You’re sure you wouldn’t rather ride the Ferris wheel again?” She suggested
Vera smirked. “Joan, are you afraid of roller coasters?”
“Of course not.” The taller woman scoffed
Vera giggled and began to walk towards Grace, who was already running towards the ride; Joan held back. The shorter woman looked back and froze.
“Grace, hold on, come back here!” she yelled, holding out her hand to the young girl who begrudgingly returned, dragging her feet dramatically.
Joan stood rooted to the spot, her face filled with apprehension. She fidgeted with the strap of the ridiculous backpack she wore, which held their things, including a large stuffed bear shed won for Grace; its head poked out of the bag, too big to fit fully. Vera found the sight utterly adorable. She moved closer as their daughter pulled on her hand, trying to drag her towards the ride.
“Are you?” Vera asked frowning slightly. Grace looked up curiously between her mothers
“I’ve… never… been on one.” She said haltingly, eyeing the ride with a look of foreboding.
“Come, we’ll be together. It’s not too big; it’ll be fun. “ Vera smiled and took Joan’s hand; Grace saw this and grabbed Joan’s other hand.
“Come on!! Mumma, you don’t need to be afraid; you can sit beside me! I’ll protect you,” Grace beamed, revealing the gap in her front teeth where she’d lost a tooth just a week ago.
“I am not afraid!” Joan protested, unable to conceal a smile as Grace used all her strength to pull her towards the ride unsuccessfully.
“You’re sure it’s safe?” She murmured to Vera.
“Of course! Hundreds of people go on it every day!”
“Hmm,” Joan sounded unconvinced, but she relented and let her girls pull her towards the ride.
Grace let go and quickly ran up to the line where there was a place to measure your height for the ride. She stood with her back to it.
“Am I tall enough, mummy?” She asked to Vera.
“Just about Gracie!” Vera smiled, marvelling at how fast her daughter was growing up.
“Are you sure you’re tall enough, Vera?” Joan smirked, and her wife jokingly elbowed her in the ribs.
“Cheeky” Vera smirked.
They made their way to the end of the line, and Grace motioned to be picked up by Joan, who happily obliged, feeling her heart melt a bit as she laid her head in the crook of her neck. The sweet moment didn’t last long, though; after only a few minutes, the rambunctious girl wanted down again, jumping around excitedly.
“How much longer?” She whined
“It’s only been 5 minutes,” Vera laughed
“I’m board!”
“Should we leave?” Joan asked. Already knowing what the answer would be.
“No!” The girl gasped
“Gracie? Do you want more of your cotton candy?” Vera asked, trying to distract the girl
“Yes!” She smiled.
Vera handed over the treat and watched with amusement as she pulled pieces off and let them melt on her tongue.
Joan’s nose wrinkled a bit as she watched. The candy looked strange, and though she’d never had it, just by looking at it, she knew for a fact it was nothing but sugar. She’d have to make sure Grace brushed her teeth extra well tonight, she thought.
The little girl pulled off a big piece and handed it to Vera, who smiled, took the piece, and ate it.
“Thank you, lovey,”
“Mumma!” Grace smiled, pulled another piece off, and held it out to Joan.
“Oh. That’s alright, darling; I’m not hungry.” Joan tried to dismiss her.
“Try it, Mumma!” Grace pled.
Joan looked at Vera for help, but she just gave her a look that Joan knew meant she should just go with it.
“Very well, " she sighed, taking the fluffy thing. She grimaced at its stickiness. “I’m getting cavities just looking at this.” She muttered. Joan took a small bite, and her eyes widened. Despite her apprehension, she found herself enjoying the fluffy candy more than she’d like to admit.
Vera poorly concealed a smile, and Grace squeaked. “You like it?”
“It is acceptable,” she nodded, and Grace giggled. Joan ate the rest while they waited, pointedly ignoring Vera’s smirk.
“You like cotton candy” she teased
“Nonsense,” Joan responded, she jokingly glared
Vera glared back before they both broke into a laugh.
Joan's confidence faltered though when they reached the front of the line. She paled as she watched the group before them get onto the ride, smiling. A young man lazily checked the ride and then turned to his phone as he sent the group off with some ridiculously rehearsed speech. Joan sighed. Putting her life in the hands of an underpaid teen operating death trap-looking machinery didn’t appeal to her. But apparently, it did to Vera, who excitedly hurried their daughter onto the ride.
She stood frozen again, and Vera and Grace looked back at her.
“Mumma, come on!!” Grace yelled.
“You’re sure it’s safe?” Joan whispered to Vera once more as she dragged her forward.
“I’m sure Joan, they test them every morning,” Vera spoke as she took the backpack her wife had been carrying and placed it in the boxes set out for storage.
“It’s quite large; perhaps we should take grace on a smaller one?”
“This is the smallest one in the park; there’s only a little drop.”
“There’s a drop!?”
“Yes. A small one! Joan, you’ll be fine; after everything you’ve been through, are you really afraid of a children’s ride?”
“I am not afraid.” Joan stepped forward and took Grace's outstretched hand; the little girl was jumping up and down with excitement as they approached the ride.
Vera sat down on one side, and Grace climbed into the middle, leaving Joan on the other. She grimaced as she sat in the strange seat. She took out a disinfectant wipe and wiped down the bar and everything else she could.
They strapped in, and the ride came to life. Joan felt panic seize her. She paled, looking to Vera, who was smiling at Grace while the little girl giggled with glee. She tightly gripped the bar in front of her.
The ride began to move upwards, and she tightened her grip, her knuckles going white. She looked once again at Vera and Grace, who were grinning from ear to ear as the ride ticked upwards. The world around them came into view, giving them what would have been a nice sight of the surrounding area had she not been stuck in this death trap.
“Mumma, look how high we are!” Grace shouted, poking at Joan, who wordlessly nodded as she began to panic.
“Vera .” She murmured shakily
Her wife looked over at her. “Oh, Joan,” she laughed, “it’s okay. You’re gonna love it. This is the scariest part.”
“It’s not funny!” Joan shouted back over the ride.
“It is a little.” Vera giggled. “The fearsome Joan Ferguson is panicking over a roller coaster!”
“We're up very high! And that young man did not look invested in our well-being! He was texting! What if something was to go wrong!” She whispered now, trying to keep out of Grace's earshot
“Joan! Calm down, I don’t want to scare Gracie.”
The little girl looked between them, confused but unbothered. She turned back to the tracks to see the ride reach the top and stop briefly; Grace squealed with excitement.
“Oh lord.” Joan moaned
“It’s going to be fun! Don’t forget to smile for the camera.” Vera grinned
“Camer-“ she couldn’t finish her sentence as they dropped. Joan now had the bar in a death grip, clenching her teeth so hard she worried they might break.
Vera and Grace screamed with joy beside her and threw their hands up in the air, and they flew down the track. Joan surged to the side and grabbed them both, pulling their arms down. Grace giggled more. If she had not been so preoccupied, she’d have heard the click of a camera
“What on earth are you doing?? Are you trying to get yourself killed?” Joan shouted.
“It’s what people do on roller coasters, Joan!” Vera laughed again, wrestling herself out of her wife’s grip.
The ride took a sharp turn, and Joan clung to the bar again.
“Mumma, try!” Grace yelled, her arms up in the air.
“I’m sorry, darling, but absolutely not.” She yelled back, not even looking at the girl.
They twisted and turned through the track, speeding over bumps; Vera and Grace screamed with delight the whole time. Joan found herself screwing her eyes shut, praying for the end.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the ride slowed and stopped, returning to where they had gotten on.
If Joan were a different woman, she might have wept at how relieved she felt as she staggered off the ride, pale and shaken. She felt a hand on her back and turned to see Vera and Grace behind her.
“Did you have fun?” Vera asked breathlessly
Joan gawked at her and shook her head.
“Let’s do it again!” Grace yelled.
Joan felt as if she might faint. There was no way she was ever setting foot on one of those again. Vera saw her expression and spoke up.
“No, Gracie, like I said, it’s almost dinner. We need to get home.”
“But mummy!” She whined
“I told you before, young lady, this was the last ride. We can come back another day, right, Joan?”
Joan only nodded dumbly, still getting reacquainted with the feeling of the ground beneath her feet.
“Let’s pick up our stuff and go get our picture, then we can go home,” she picked up Grace and rested her on her hip
She rubbed Joan’s back, and the taller woman looked down.
“You ok? You look quite pale.”
“I-I’m fine. That was… I…I love you both with all my heart. But I am never ever going on one of those again.”
Vera laughed and ushered Joan out of the ride. They picked up their belongings and the photo, much to Joan’s dismay. Grace and Vera giggled. It was a hilarious picture of Joan holding them both, trying to prevent them from throwing their arms up. Vera and Grace had looks of glee on their face, while Joan looked utterly terrified
“This is going on the fridge.” Vera laughed
“Absolutely not.”
“We’ll see.” She winked at her. “Oh! I forgot something! One moment, you two wait here.”
Joan furrowed her brow. She had all their things; she couldn’t think of what Vera had forgotten. She took Grace's hand, and they sat down on a bench. The little girl climbed onto her lap.
“Can I have the bear?” she asked, looking up with puppy-dog eyes.
“Of course.” Joan smiled, feeling calmer. “Have you thought of a name for this fellow?” she asked, pulling the bear out and handing it to the small girl.
“Bob!”
“Bob the bear?”
“Yes, he looks like a Bob, don’t you think?” The little girl asked, holding him up very close to Joan’s face.
“I suppose,” Joan said, chuckling.
The little girl hugged it before pulling back and observing it intently before looking back at Joan.
“Definitely Bob”
Grace hugged her, and again, Joan felt her heart melt as she hugged the girl back. She never thought she’d be this happy.
“Alright, I’m back! Let’s go home! “ Vera reappeared smiling, holding a small bag, which she quickly hid behind her back when she saw Joan’s curious look.
They made their way out of the park, Joan carrying Grace, who was still clutching the bear as she began to doze, the excitement of the day finally catching up to her.
At the car, Joan handed Grace off to Vera and took out the car keys, trying to conceal the fact that they were still shaking slightly from adrenaline.
“Why don’t I drive?” Vera smirked. “Go sit down; you’re still very pale.”
“I’m fin—" she was about to protest, but Vera glanced down at her hands. “Alright,” Joan relented, getting into the car, still feeling the movement from the ride somewhat.
Vera buckled Grace, now almost asleep, into her car seat, tucked the bear next to her, and retrieved the small bag before closing the door. When she got in, she placed it on Joan’s lap, who looked at her curiously. Vera nodded for her to open it, so she did, finding a tub of cotton candy.
“A reward for being so brave,” Vera teased
Joan schooled her expression, trying to conceal her delight.
“You can’t fool me, Joan; I saw your face when you tried it earlier. You loved it.”
Joan blushed and shyly smiled back at her. “Thank you.” She leaned forward and kissed Vera.
“Ewww!” Grace groaned, apparently not as asleep as they had thought. The women both laughed.
“Alright! Let’s go home for dinner!” She smiled starting up the car.
“Can we get McDonald’s?” Grace asked eagerly.
“We have food at home,” Joan said before eating a piece of cotton candy.