The family spent the entire afternoon at the Valor City Amusement Park, and for the first time in a long time, the shadows of the past seemed to lift under the bright sun. The air was filled with the scent of popcorn and the sound of pure joy.
They rode everything. The gentle, golden carousel, where Alex sat on a painted pony like a queen, waving frantically at her parents every time she spun past. The swinging Pirate Ship that made Alex scream with terrified delight while clutching her father’s arm. The Dinosaur Adventure Land, where animatronic T-Rexes roared from the bushes, making Alex hide her face in Matthew’s coat. And the bumper cars, where Matthew ruthlessly targeted other dads to protect his daughter's vehicle, earning him a scolding from Sarah and giggles from Alex.
There were
