Page 33 of Surviving in Everton

“What if we guess?Thenwill you tell us?” she pleads with me.

“Maybe… it’s worth a try,” I answer with a shrug.

“Hmmm… Oh, I know! Fairies!” Violet cries.

Quinn and I share a look and attempt to hold in our laughter.

“A centaur?” Logan guesses, much more reserved than Violet.

“Good guesses,” I tell them.

“Are we right?” Violet asks with hopeful eyes.

“I don’t know.” I shrug nonchalantly.

“Mommy! You said you’d tell us if we guessed!” she pouts.

“Mmmm, no I didn’t.” I cock my head and look at her. “I said ‘Maybe… it’s worth a try.’ You tried… I didn’t answer.” I grin at her as she huffs and stomps her foot at me.

“Oh come on, we’re almost there,” I reassure her.

We turn the corner and there it is. The exhibit Quinn and I have been waiting for all day. I stop and step out of the way, watching Violet closely. I don’t want to miss her reaction when she sees what animal we’ve come to. She finally realizes we’ve stopped and stops talking to Logan. She looks up, and her reaction does not disappoint.

“OH MY GOD IT’S A UNICORN!!!!” she screams so loud I swear they heard her on the other side of the zoo.

“Shhh, you’ll scare them,” I gently chide her. “I know you’re excited, but unicorns are very skittish. You have to be quiet and gentle with them.”

“Okay, Mommy, I can be quiet,” she states firmly.

Quinn and I share a look of open disagreement. There’s no way this kid is going to be quiet around unicorns when she had no idea they were even real. Which reminds me… why didn’t Logan tell her they were real? I look over at him, to find him watching Violet with a big smile on his face. He must feel me staring at him because he turns his smile on me.

“You see that look on her face?” he asks me. “She deserved to see it for herself. Of course, I knew unicorns were real, but she wouldn’t be experiencing that overwhelming joy right now if I had simplytoldher. I’m so glad I was smart and patient enough to keep it a secret,” he explains.

Wow. This kid is really something else. “Thank you, Logan. She’s really lucky to have you.”

“I’m lucky to have her too. She’s pretty amazing you know,” he tells me then walks over to where Violet is studying the unicorn.

I pull out my phone and shoot off a text to Declan.

Me:Your son… he’s just fucking amazing Declan. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate him.

Declan:Well thank youA Stor… what’d he do? Lol

Me:I took the kids to the zoo in Warlington. They have unicorns. Violet didn’t know they were real, but Logan did. Yet he never told her. He just waited for her to see them with her own eyes. And I just. Damn it that’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever done. I really love your son Dec. I hope it’s ok if I say that, but I do.

Declan:Of course it’s okA Stor. I’m glad you love him. I love Violet too. I wish I could have seen her reaction to learning her favorite animal is real. That must have been something.

“You okay over there?” Quinn calls to me.

I sniffle and nod my head. “Yeah, I’m okay. Just telling Declan how amazing his son is. He said he wishes he could have seen Violet’s reaction,” I tell her with a watery smile.

“Well, then it’s a good thing I recorded it isn’t it?” she casually throws out there.

“What?! You recorded it?!? Oh my god let me see!”

Quinn laughs at my enthusiasm, but she walks over and shows me the video on her phone. It’s even better the second time. Quinn caught everything! I can’t wait to show the guys when they get home.

Violet has apparently decided we’re done looking at other animals for today because she refuses to leave the unicorns. She is just captivated by them. I think she may still be a little mad at me for never telling her they were real though. I’ve got so many pictures of her with them it’s not even funny. I’m gonna have my favorite one printed and hang it on the living room wall so I can see this look on her face every day.

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