I can’t think. I can’t think of a way. The vision, it won’t stop playing. It won’t let me think!
I held my head. “I don’t care! Just stop them or that father is going to fall into the pit with the tiger. She’s going to drop her bear into the grating between the rock fence and the drop-off. He’s going to try to climb over to get it, and he’ll fall.”
“I know what to do.” Chay ran to a nearby kiosk gift shop and bought two stuffed bears. He ran back to me and grabbed my hand. We made it to the tiger exhibit just as the little girl dropped her bear over the fence. She started to cry. The father let go of her hand and braced himself to jump the fence when Chay stepped in.
“Sir, please don’t do that. It’s dangerous, and you have a lot of kids watching. You wouldn’t want one of them trying it.” He knelt down in front of the little girl. “We have two bears just like yours. How about you take one of our bears, and we’ll let the zoo keepers have your bear as a surprise?”
She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “Okay.” She took the bear Chay held out to her.
“Thank you,” the father said, taking his little girl’s hand and letting her pull him to the next exhibit.
“Better?” Chay looked at me and cupped my cheek in his hand. I leaned into him.
“Yes, but I don’t want to leave while that bear is still there. Another parent might get some crazy idea or, God forbid, a kid. Will you stay here while I go get an attendant to fish it out? I won’t feel good until it’s gone.” Chay waited at the fence while I found a zoo employee to get the bear so no one else would be tempted to try and grab it.
“Here.” Chay held out the second stuffed bear when we walked away from the tiger exhibit. “This one is for you.”
“Really? Thank you.” Hugging the bear to me, I looked up at Chay. I pulled the bear back and looked at it, straightening its bow and smoothing the fur from its plastic, blue eyes. “This is…”
No boy has ever giving me anything like this before. What’s it mean? It’s just a bear, but what if it’s not just a bear? What if it means something more to him? I think I’m going crazy. This love stuff is so hard to figure out. Wait. Love?
Chay tilted his head and looked at me. “What?”
I decided to go the bold route. Slipping my hand behind his neck, I pulled him to me. His lips fit mine perfectly. When I pulled back far enough to speak, I said, “Thank you. I love it.”
“Damn, Milayna, if I’d known you liked teddy bears that much, I’d have been buying them for you every day.”
I sat down on a bench and settled my new stuffed friend in my lap. “Listen, I know we haven’t been here that long, but do you think we could go?”
“Sure.” Chay’s brows knitted together. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No! You… You’ve been great. I’ve had a, um, it’s been really nice being with you.” I gave him a small smile and fidgeted with the bear in my lap. “It’s just… the visions really zap my energy, and I feel so tired afterward. I don’t want to ruin the day.”
“Would eating help?” At my nod, he said, “How ‘bout we get something to eat and see how you feel? If you still want to leave, we can. If you feel better, we can stay and see the rest of the zoo.”
“Okay.” I really wanted to go home and take a nap. A nap with him wouldn’t have been too bad.
“Do you want to eat out here? We could get some burgers and sit on the lawn.”
“Are your parents home?” I looked down at the toe of my shoe when I asked. When he didn’t answer, I looked up through my lashes.
He was watching me with his blue-green gaze that seemed to see straight into me and read all my secrets. He cleared his throat. “Unfortunately, yes, they are.”
I nodded and kicked at the ground with the toe of my shoe. “So are mine.” I looked over my shoulder. There was a long stretch of crisp, green grass. Large oaks and sugar maples surrounded the area. The autumn sun warmed the air and shone through the brightly colored leaves like a stained glass window. “So, let’s lie in the grass.”
He smiled. “Okay, pick a spot, and I’ll grab something to eat.”
I found a place close to a tree and eased myself down onto the cool grass, watching him in line at the concession stand. Actually, I watched the other girls watching him, gloating when he didn’t notice their attempts to attract his attention.
He paid for our food and brought back two burgers and every imaginable condiment. “I didn’t know what you liked,” he said with a shrug.
We made our burgers and ate in silence. I watched people walk by and listened to the birds in the tree above us.
“You’re still exhausted.” Chay’s gaze trailed over my face.
“No, I feel better.”
Sort of. I’m so tired, but I don’t want our day to end. I want every second I can have with you.
“Let me take you home.”
“No! I mean, are you ready to go home?” I held my breath, waiting for his answer.
“No, but I don’t want you to be miserable. Here, lay your head in my lap. Rest for a while and see how you feel.”
I hesitated.