Page 32 of Single Daddy To Go

We take a ride on the huge Ferris wheel, the three of us snuggled together in our seat. Katie squeals with joy as we ride around and around. Her energy is infectious. I throw my arms up as we ride up into the sky, towering over the crowd that’s receded to the size of ants. Rob tries to keep his steely cool, but even he succumbs, laughing along with us.

“Wasn’t that fun, sweetheart?” I ask the little girl once we’re safely back on the ground. But there’s no answer because Katie’s already run over to the next attraction.

“Step right up, try your hand at a game of strength. You look like a big strong man. Win the big prize!” one of the carnival barkers calls out to us as Rob and I stroll after her. The game station is decked out with giant stuffed animals. There are lions and tigers and bears. The point seems to involve hitting a moving target with an enormous mallet.

Rob doesn’t show much interest, but Katie is seduced by the giant stuffed animals. “I want a lion, Daddy!” she calls out.

“No sweetheart,” he says. “You know what these games are. No one ever wins. They’re just ways to make a man part with his money.”

Now I mock-glare at him.

“Rob Lockhart,” I scold lightly. “What happened to being an optimist?”

Katie joins in, her bottom lip stuck out in a pout. “Please Daddy,” she wails. “Please, please,pleeease!”

Rob sighs. “Alright, I’ll try to win you a lion. How does this game work?”

The game operator is a pimple faced teenage boy, dressed in a brightly colored striped uniform. His voice cracks as he explains the rules. “You just need to hit that target hard enough to make this bell go all the way to the top. You get three tries.”

“And if I win,” Rob asks. “I can get one of these giant lions?”

The kid shakes his head. “If you hit the target once, you can choose from one of these mini animals. If you want the giant lion, you have to hit it three times and get a perfect score.”

Rob nods, totally convinced he’s right. “These games are rigged, you know,” he whispers to me.

“I know,” I whisper back. “But optimist, remember? Plus, Katie doesn’t understand that yet.”

My man’s face takes on a serious expression. I don’t think he wants his daughter to know about the unfairness of the world yet. She still thinks of her dad as a hero, and he wants to keep it that way.

“Let’s see that mallet,” he rumbles, taking off his jacket and handing it to me. He rolls up his sleeves, as if readying himself for battle. He takes the big rubber mallet in his hands. I can tell that it’s heavy, by the way he holds it, shoulder muscles bulging. He winces a bit, and I know it’s not the heavy weight of the hammer. It’s the fact that last time we made love, I bit him on the shoulder while in the throes of passion, marking my man with my possession.

But then the kid hits a button, and the targets start moving. Rob stands there, watching the motion, stalking the targets like a lion in the grass. He’s perfectly still, an alpha male patiently waiting his opportunity.

“You only have ten seconds left,” the kid warns, and the machine starts to beep out a countdown.

Rob takes no notice of the kid or the machine. Then at the last second, he strikes, hitting the target full on. The machine chimes, a sound sort of like the one a slot machine makes when you hit a jackpot.

“Nice,” says the kid grudgingly.

Rob just nods silently, holding the mallet, his knees bent slightly like a fighter, his expression deadly serious. It’s just a stupid game, but I’m waiting with bated breath and so is Katie.

He strikes again, right at the last second, making the machine chime a second time. The kid’s eyes widen. I doubt many people win the large animals from these games.

Lo and behold, Rob’s third shot is another winner. This time, the machine goes crazy with flashing lights and clanging bells. A robot voice calls out, “We have a winner! Winner! Winner!”

“Wow, man,” says the kid grudgingly. “Good job. No one ever wins this game. At least not since I’ve been here.”

Rob shrugs. “I’ll have a lion, please,” he rumbles.

Katie throws her arms around her Dad in glee before he hands her the giant lion. She tries to carry it, but it’s too big for her, so we put it in the stroller. She wants to push it, treating the big stuffed cat like it’s her baby. We walk along slowly, going at Katie’s pace.

I feel so relaxed and happy, my mind nowhere else but the present. It feels like we’re a real family, and my heart almost breaks with joy. Rob puts his heavy arm around my shoulder, whispering against my hair.

“Are you happy?” he asks in a low voice.

I know he’s not asking about winning the giant stuffed lion. I look directly into those blue eyes and melt.

“Yes,” is my honest answer.