Forging New Paths

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Luca seemed pleased with Anthony's reaction, though a little confused since it wasn't as if he'd done anything on purpose. He had to think it over for a minute, looking at the candy in the bucket, but finally picked out a simple chocolate bar to save for later.

"Hi, Watson," he murmured softly when the cat came over to see him, and blinked at the duck when it was set down. "Oh. . . Thank you." He said when Garrett explained, and reached over to give Watson some scratches to repay him.

Evelyn couldn't help a little smile, amused as always by the little exchanges he and Watson always had. "All right, Garrett, wake up and have your turn. No old man naps while you're at the carnival."
 
Watson purred, arching his back and rubbing up against Luca's hand. Then he gave the duck a few nudges forward to try and get Luca to pick it up.

Garrett chuckled and ambled to his feet. "All right, I'm up. I'm up." He stretched and yawned widely. Then once Luca had given him the fishing net, he hunched over and swished it through the water, soon pulling out a green duck. "All right! Candy for me, too. And I could sure use a bit of sugar to wake me up right now."

He picked out one of the candies, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth before putting the wrapper in a nearby trash can. Then he smiled and handed the net to Evelyn. "Your turn, Evelyn!" he offered.
 
Luca looked curiously at the duck when Watson pushed it closer, hesitantly picking it up and giving it a little heft in his hand, as if he thought he might throw it. ". . . You want to chase it?" Watson was funny sometimes, so maybe he would play fetch like a dog. Or maybe he just wanted to sit in Luca's lap with the duck nearby.

Evelyn blinked in surprise when Garrett held the net out to her, having been observing and taking pictures but not participating this far. She almost thought to refuse automatically, but she didn't want to disappoint Anthony by making him think she didn't appreciate all his effort, and didn't want Garrett or Luca to feel like she wasn't joining them. Their lives were becoming more and more tied together, of late, and she was going to have to coach herself into not hovering on the outskirts of every activity they did together.

"Don't want to try for a second helping?" She teased Garrett lightly, but did take the net and moved over to an empty spot of the pool to very delicately fish a duck out of the pool, doing her best to pick one randomly and stick with it rather than allow her Insight to tell her what she was going to get in time to change her mind. "Oh - stickers for me." She murmured after checking the color, and set the duck carefully back into the water to pick out a circus-themed sheet. Later, when she printed some of the pictures, she thought she might stick them on as decoration.
 
Garrett smiled warmly. "Something tells me Anthony's going to share the leftover candy afterwards even if we don't win it."

"Shhh! Garrett! Don't ruin the surprise!" Anthony whispered, giggling. Then he shrugged. "But yeah. I was definitely going to pack up the extra prizes and give us all goodie bags afterwards. Then we can all eat the candy and use the stickers and jewelry later on. Wouldn't want it to go to waste!"

He was a bit surprised when Evelyn actually participated in the game, but pleasantly so. Though he didn't think she was quite as excited about her prize as Luca and Garrett were. Still, at least she was participating. Anthony cleared his throat and clapped his hands gently together. "All right, only two stops left! Who's ready for the roller coaster?"

Garrett dropped his tired facade. He raised a hand and grinned, waving it back and forth. "Me! Me!"

Anthony snorted. "Garrett? You want to go first?" He led the way to the decorated laundry basket with a rope. "All right. Get in."

Garrett hopped into the basket and held onto the sides. And once Anthony began pulling the rope and running around the slippery track with the basket, Garrett held his hands in the air - although he didn't scream, for Luca's sake - just like he was on a real roller coaster. The laundry cart zoomed around the room and skirted around corners almost as fast as Watson.
 
The fact that the prizes were going to be given out anyway made them feel less like actual prizes, but Luca seemed pleased enough with winning things, and getting to play the little game together, so Evelyn let it go without any further teasing. She did, still, laugh a little at the way Garrett got so upbeat about the 'roller coaster', and couldn't help wondering if he was genuinely excited or if he was playing it up for Anthony or Luca.

The decorations on the coaster itself were charming, and Evelyn was sure to snap a few pictures of it and of Garrett getting settled before quickly switching to video before he could disappear. The speed at which Anthony pulled him away startled a little laugh from her, and when the basket moved out of view for a moment she turned in time to catch the face Luca was making on camera, which only made her chuckle as she stopped recording.

"Don't worry, Luca," She said with a little shake of her head, putting a hand on his arm. "If he falls out, he doesn't have very far to go." She had a feeling she was going to have to make sure Anthony knew not to go too fast when it was his turn.
 
Garrett actually was that excited. While most of the other carnival activities were meant to be relaxing, this was one that was supposed to be fun and exciting. And he hadn't had many opportunities as of late to do something quite so vibrant.

The roller coaster eventually slowed to a stop, and Garrett climbed out, laughing and grinning. "That was great, Anthony! Thanks!"

Anthony beamed. "You're welcome!" He glanced over to Luca, and then gestured at the laundry basket, smiling more gently. "Do you want a turn? You can go slower than Garrett did, if you want. I just know Garrett likes fast coasters."

Watson strolled over and sniffed at the basket, tail twitching with interest.

"Watson could ride with you too, if you want him to!" Anthony added warmly.
 
Luca fiddled with his hands a bit, hesitating and looking at the basket, then at Watson. But even if it hadn't looked very safe, he knew Evelyn and Garrett wouldn't ask him to do things that were dangerous. It would be okay, wouldn't it?

Carefully, nervous still, he moved over and delicately stepped into the basket, settling down with his knees bent in order to fit. "Watson can come to?" He asked, uncertain.

"I think it should be okay," Evelyn said, thinking Watson was a pretty adventurous cat and wouldn't be afraid. "Just, no sharp corners, all right, Anthony?" She was sure he knew that, but it felt better to say it aloud.

Luca nodded a little, reaching out to Watson until the cat let himself be picked up and into Luca's lap, then settled in with one hand on Watson and one on the basket. "Okay. . . We'll go together."
 
Watson purred and kneaded Luca's legs a bit to get more comfortable. Then he curled his tail around himself and perked his ears forward.

Anthony nodded, holding the basket rope carefully. "Okay," he promised Evelyn. Then he glanced back at Luca and smiled. "We'll start slow. If you want to go faster or stop, you can tell me, all right?" And once Luca seemed ready, Anthony started off at a walk, pulling Luca around the slick trail at a relaxed pace.

The little black cat poked his head up in interest, setting his paws on the front of the laundry basket and meowing.

"Aww. Looks like Watson for sure likes the basket ride!" Garrett said happily. His gaze shifted to check on Luca, studying his features. "How are you doing, Luca? Feeling okay?"
 
Luca only nodded a little, uncertain and feeling strange about the whole thing. It took him a moment to get used to the feeling of being pulled, of having someone else in control of where he went, and how fast or slow. But he was somewhere safe, safer than he'd been in years and years, and he was sure that no one in the building would bring him harm on purpose. Garrett hadn't been hurt by going fast, so it was safe, wasn't it?

When questioned he shifted his knees a little, a hand holding lightly to Watson still in case he needed to be steadied, and finally managed a little nod again. ". . . a little faster?" He questioned, unused to giving anyone else directions, and still not quite in the habit of asking out loud for what he wanted. But Anthony had said to say if he wanted to go faster, and they were going very slow. He didn't want to go as fast as Garrett had, for fear he would just fall out, but faster was okay.
 
"You got it!" Anthony replied cheerfully. He picked up his pace a little. He still didn't go as fast as he had with Garrett, but there was a bit of wind from the speed now. "How's this?" he asked gently.

Watson certainly seemed to approve. He leaned forward into the wind and closed his eyes, as though enjoying the breeze.

Garrett stood near Evelyn and watched the pair going around the track in circles. His eyes glittered, and he chuckled. Without even thinking about it, he leaned partially against Evelyn, but not enough to accidentally push her off balance. "I'm so glad the carnival's going well," he told her softly. "Especially for Luca and Anthony." But of course, he had to admit he'd been extra excited about the carnival too, and he was having a blast.
 
Luca tensed up a little, at first, but as he got used to the new burst of speed he actually laughed - a quiet laugh, and very short, but still a laugh. "Watson likes it," he said with a little smile, looking down at the way he leaned into the motion. Luca hadn't been sure he would like being pulled along, but the butterflies it out in his stomach were good ones.

Evelyn was a little surprised, at first, at the strange not-feeling of Garrett's touch, but shifted her weight to push back against him just a little, as if she needed to lean closer to tell secrets. "They deserve to have fun." She agreed, voice low and gentle, just watching the smiles on their faces. "Maybe they'll even make it to a real one, one day." She wasn't sure Luca would ever be able to handle something like that, but it was a nice thought.
 
All at once Garrett stretched out a hand to her shoulder, his full attention on Luca. "Evelyn," he whispered. "Evelyn. He just laughed. Did you hear it?" he asked. His eyes shimmered, and the smile hung on his face.

Anthony laughed back and glanced over his shoulder to check on Luca. "Yeah? Do you like it, too?" he asked. "This is so much fun! It's almost better than a real carnival! The only thing missing is a Ferris Wheel." He shrugged and smiled. "I couldn't fit one in. I don't really know how I'd make one safely at home, either."

Eventually, Watson settled back in Luca's lap, still closing his eyes and enjoying the sensation of wind across his face. He certainly was a cat that enjoyed adventure.
 
Evelyn rocked a little with the way he grabbed her shoulder, and at first could only clasp her hand tightly over his and make a faint, upset little sound. "Shh," she urged when she could, blinking rapidly a few times and shaking her head at him. "I heard. . . I heard." If he kept pointing it out like that she was going to actually cry. If only she had caught it on camera.

Luca was still smiling a bit but I had to take a second or two to consider. "I think i like it," he said, because the feeling in his stomach was new and he was still getting used to it. "That's too big. . ." He wasn't sure he'd ever been on a Ferris wheel but they went so high. He didn't think he'd like that, but sliding around with Watson inside the house was . . . fun. That's what the feeling was. Fun. It had been so long, he almost didn't recognize it.
 
Garrett gave a soft chuckle of almost disbelief, and then slowly but surely let go of Evelyn and went back to watching Luca. He was sure if he tried to make eye contact with anybody he'd burst out crying, and he'd hate for Luca to think they were anything but happy tears.

"Good, I'm glad," Anthony replied. "Just let me know if you want the ride to stop. Anyway, as for Ferris Wheels - yeah, they're pretty big. But they're slow and gentle. I like 'em, cuz when you stop at the top you can see the entire carnival and the city." He beamed. "I still can't believe you all managed to find a Ferris Wheel night light for me."

Then his eyes widened. "Oh! That gives me an idea. We could turn the main lights off later and just have the soft tent lights and Ferris Wheel light on. It would be like looking at the carnival at night, and we could put a spotlight on our food while we eat. What do you think?"
 
When Garrett's hand left a cold spot on her shoulder, Evelyn could only ball a fist up against her collarbone near her heart, her other hand clutching tightly to her phone, and breathe. It was such a big relief she hadn't expected it, from such a simple thing as Luca having fun. She'd been so used to how quiet and pliant he could be, or how upset, that she had wondered if it was really possible for him to feel excited. She was going to have to give Anthony some sort of gift, after all was said and done.

"Feels too high. . ." Luca said uncertainly, picturing how tall Ferris wheels could be but with no memory of ever being inside of one. He didn't think he liked heights.

He could only nod, when asked about the lights and snacks, struggling with words he wasn't used to saying. He didn't tell people what to do, and he didn't push for the things he wanted or didn't want, and even though Evelyn and Garrett had been helping him learn it was okay, it was still hard sometimes.

"I . . . I want to stop," He managed finally, and something felt as if it had uncoiled in his chest when saying a sort of 'no' out loud made anything actually stop. He sat still for a moment, giving Watson gentle pets and then very carefully urging him up. "Okay, Watson. . . Time to get up."

When she could, Evelyn cleared her throat as quietly as possible in hopes no one would hear her struggling to speak again, and gave Garrett a gentle nudge. "Should you give Anthony a turn?" She asked softly, turned away from the teen a bit so he wouldn't hear. She might have made the suggestion to Luca, but she wasn't sure he was strong enough to pull Anthony's weight.
 
Anthony carefully slowed to a stop, making sure he didn't halt abruptly and accidentally make Luca fall. "Sure thing! Glad you had a good time on the roller coaster."

Garrett cleared his throat and wiped his eyes. He smiled and nodded at once, rubbing his hands together. "Yes. I think Anthony deserves a turn."

The boy's eyes glittered. Once Luca was out and Watson had climbed up onto his shoulder, he hopped into the basket and gripped the sides tightly. "Give it all you got, Detective!"

Garrett beamed and picked up the rope. "Evelyn? Luca? Watson? You may want to keep your distance from the roller coaster. I'm about to show you why I needed that snooze earlier." Once he was sure the pair was out of the way, he took off running along the path, moving so fast that the laundry basket lifted up a bit at first.

Anthony squealed in delight and held on for dear life. He was having a blast.

After a round or two of going in circles, Garrett slowed the basket to a stop, and Anthony tumbled out in a fit of giggles. "That was great!" he announced. "Thanks, Garrett!" He slowly sat up and sighed deeply. "You all ready for some food next?"
 
Luca was not quite wobbly as he got out, but did take a minute to uncurl his legs and get himself up, pausing for Watson to settle in before he could step out. He wasn't sure if he should say thank you or not, and just stepped over to Evelyn's side as she held a hand out to him. She squeezed his fingers carefully even as she guided him a little further away from the track, something strange in her expression that he couldn't quite place.

"Was that fun?" She asked softly, holding their hands up between them and pressing his between both of hers for a moment. "I'm glad you liked it."

He only smiled a little, unsure how to respond and concerned about the strange tone in her voice he didn't understand, but was distracted when Garrett suddenly took off with Anthony in tow. He smiled a little as he watched, shifting slightly further away, and was a bit glad he hadn't gone fast when he watched Anthony tumble out at the end. At least it looked like the younger man had enjoyed it.

"Do you need a minute to recover?" Evelyn asked with a little laugh at Anthony's pleased expression. "I'm surprise you didn't fly out on the first turn."
 
The young man glanced up at her, dark eyes sparkling below his curls. Evelyn seemed far friendlier now than when they'd first met. Maybe she finally approved of him. He smiled and shook his head, stumbling to his feet. "Nah, I'm fine."

He made his way to the concession stand and nodded. "All right, so - concessions! We'll all go one at a time. Just ask the puppets for the food you want, and they'll put it on your plate for you. The corn dogs will take a minute though; they've gotta get heated up. And once you've got your plate of food, you can go sit on the couch with it! That'll be the best spot to see all the lights, I think."

Garrett went first. He stopped at each of the concession stands, ordering food, and thanking each "puppet" when they gave him his order. Then he smiled at Luca and Evelyn and nodded. "All right! You two go ahead."

The first puppet was an alligator. "You both want any popcorn?" Anthony asked in a silly voice. Evelyn might pick up from Insight the silly voice was something he'd learned from Garrett, listening to him read the story a while back.
 
Evelyn led Luca along by the hand, but at the concession stand finally managed to let him go so he could gather his own things. It was strange for her, gleaning information about things from Garrett's life peripherally, through Anthony, when she could get nothing from the man himself. The image of him taking young, troubled Anthony under his wing, even just as an informant, made her feel so warm for a moment she couldn't manage the presence of mind to respond to the little puppet.

Luca gave the puppet an odd look, smiling ever so slightly but with a confused edge to the expression. "Yes . . . please. . ." He managed when Evelyn was quiet. Was he supposed to talk to the puppet, or Anthony? He didn't know, but still said a quiet 'thank you' when he had his popcorn.

Shaking her head a little to clear it, Evelyn gave his arm a gentle pat to encourage him and helped him slowly gather a couple other snacks to take with them.
 
Anthony beamed when Luca replied to the puppet like Garrett had, and he made the puppet give Luca his popcorn. "Here you go! Enjoy!" he said in the puppet's voice. He repeated the process at the other concession stands, using puppets to ask if Luca wanted the different snacks. And once Luca had taken his food to the couch with Garrett, it was Evelyn's turn.

He'd noticed she hadn't really cared to participate in the rest of the carnival very much. So he set the puppets and concession stand cutouts aside, smiling and offering her a plate instead. "What can I get for you, Evelyn?" he asked.

Garrett was sitting on the couch, already eating his corn dog when Luca approached. He smiled and waved his hand. "What'd you think about the puppets? Pretty fun, huh?"
 
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