CHAPTER 129: DAY OUT WITH MOMMY AND DADDY

Zeke told Claire to look around and choose anything she liked. As soon as she got his go-ahead, Claire ran straight to the shelf full of stuffed animals.

She grabbed a soft penguin and a big gray elephant, hugging both tightly in her arms. Then she rushed back to Zeke, eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Daddy. Look. I like these." she said, holding them up proudly.

Zeke crouched down and smiled. "You want to get these?"

Claire nodded fast. "Yes, yes! Can I, Daddy? Pretty please?" She hugged the stuffed animals close to her chest. "I wanna give Browny and Sparkle new friends! I don’t have a penguin or an elephant at home yet."

Still smiling, Zeke brushed Claire’s bangs aside gently. "Take whatever you want. Didn’t Daddy say? Daddy will give you anything you wish for, princess."

Claire’s eyes got even brighter. She bounced a little in place, then leaned close to Zeke and whispered, "Can I get... one more stuffie? And the animal hats? The puppy one... and the bunny too?

Zeke let out a soft chuckle. "Of course you can, princess. If you want, Daddy will buy everything in this store for you."

Claire gasped, her mouth forming a perfect little "O" of amazement.

But beside them, Cassidy frowned, arms gently crossing over her chest. "Zeke, don’t say things like that."

Zeke sighed and turned to Cassidy. "Okay, I’m sorry," he said gently.

Cassidy knelt down and gently stroked Claire’s arm. "Baby, how about just two stuffies and two animal hats, okay? That way we don’t take more than we need."

Claire pouted a little but nodded. "Okay, Mommy," she mumbled, then skipped over to the display where the animal hats were neatly arranged.

She picked out the ones she liked first. Then, with a little giggle, she grabbed an elephant hat for Zeke and a fox one for Cassidy, hugging them to her chest like treasures before walking back to hand them out.

"This is for Mommy and Daddy," she said sweetly, handing the two hats to Cass and Zeke.

"Thank you, princess," Zeke said as he took the hat from her.

"You’re so kind and thoughtful, sweetheart," Cass added, smiling warmly.

Claire then looked up at them and gently urged, "Now you have to wear them."

Cassidy and Zeke looked at each other before finally giving in to Claire’s request.

As they put on the hats, Claire clapped her hands and laughed with delight. Cassidy turned to look at Zeke and almost laughed too. His usually serious face now looked unexpectedly funny under the oversized elephant ears.

Zeke glanced at her, one brow raised beneath the hat. "Do I look ridiculous?"

Cassidy lifted a hand to cover her mouth, clearly holding back a laugh. She shook her head slowly. "No," she said, her eyes glinting with mischief. "You look... adorable."

Zeke narrowed his eyes at her, clearly not buying it. "That still sounds like a yes to me."

Cass then turned to Clara and asked, "Do I look silly?"

Clara was just about to answer when Zeke cut in, "No, you look cute."

Cass looked down, a little flustered, and said, "Thank you."

"Help me put it on, Daddy," Claire said, handing Zeke the bunny-eared hat.

Claire then noticed Clara, Nolan, and one of the bodyguards standing near the door without any hats. Without a word, she ran back and grabbed a few more, giggling as she handed one to each of them.

After Zeke paid, the group stepped out of the souvenir shop.

The bodyguards waiting outside couldn’t help but chuckle when they saw Nolan and the others wearing animal hats.

Nolan met their stares with a warning look, daring any of them to comment, but even he couldn’t fully hide the twitch at the corner of his mouth.

Carrying the bag with Claire’s stuffed toy, Zeke turned to her. "So, princess, which ride do you want to try first?"

From behind them, Nolan spoke up. "The rides for young Miss Claire ages are all in Kiddie City. It’s not far from here."

Zeke gave a small nod. "Alright. Show us the way."

With that, they started walking, Nolan leading the way as Zeke held Claire’s hand gently.

When they reached the ride area, Claire immediately pointed at the one she wanted, the carousel.

She ended up riding it over and over again, completely enchanted, while Zeke and Cassidy stood nearby, watching her every spin.

After she had enough of the carousel, Claire pointed to another ride, the kiddie airplane swings. It was a small, colorful ride where the little planes swung gently in a circle, and this one allowed parents to join in. Claire’s eyes lit up as she quickly turned to Zeke.

"Come with me, Daddy!"

Zeke looked unsure. He glanced at the small seats and said, "I think I’m too big for that, princess. What if it breaks?"

Claire looked up at him with a pout.

Cassidy chuckled quietly while Zeke walked over to the staff to ask. After a brief chat and a reassuring nod from the attendant, he sighed in surrender.

"Alright," he said, taking Claire’s hand. "But if it creaks, it’s not my fault."

Claire laughed and pulled him toward the swing, clearly thrilled.

Just like the carousel earlier, Claire ended up riding the airplane swings several times in a row. Zeke tried to keep up, but by the last round, he looked visibly dizzy.

As the ride came to a stop, he leaned down and whispered into Claire’s ear, "How about you ask Mommy to join you this time? I think she wants a turn on the swings too."

Claire nodded enthusiastically. "Okay, Daddy!"

Zeke let out a quiet sigh of relief, smiling as he finally escaped what felt like swing-set torture.

After the swings, Claire continued hopping from one ride to another for over two hours. Cassidy, Zeke, Clara, and Nolan took turns accompanying her, each one trying to keep up with her endless energy.

After riding for almost two hours, Claire finally stopped. Her cheeks were red, her hair a little messy under the bunny-eared hat, but she still looked full of energy.

Zeke gently took off Claire’s bunny-eared hat, noticing her red cheeks and sweaty forehead. "Let’s cool you down a bit, princess," he said softly.

Cass handed Claire her water bottle and said gently, "Drink some water first, sweetheart."

"Thank you, Mommy."

"How about some ice cream, princess?" Zeke asked softly.

"Thank you, Mommy," Claire said, taking the bottle and drinking eagerly.

Once she finished, Zeke smiled and asked, "How about some ice cream, princess?"

"Yes, please, Daddy! I want strawberry ice cream!"

They went to get ice cream together. And after Claire finished hers, Zeke said, "Let’s go eat. I booked a place."

Cassidy blinked. "You did?"

He nodded with a small smile. "Thought we’d be hungry."

As they arrived at the restaurant Zeke had reserved, a waiter stepped forward to escort them to their private room. But just as they began to walk, a voice called out from behind.

"Ezekiel?"

Zeke didn’t react right away. He was still holding Claire, focused on her chatter, unaware of the presence behind them.

Cass turned first, reacting on impulse to the voice. Her brows gently pulled together as she saw who it was, curiosity growing in her eyes.