20. Seymour

Chapter 20

Seymour

"Ready for some fun?" Dante sing-songed to Albie as he settled him into the stroller.

We had decided to spend the day at the City Park, where they were having a festival of the arts. Kai had seen the flier at the coffee shop and thought it would be a fun family outing. I'd never been to this festival before, but it was a yearly event that people always talked about. It had to be good, but also, even if it wasn't, who cared. The company would be amazing.

I was here with my four favorite people. What could be better than spending the day with them?

Albie held onto his little pacifier—he rarely suckled it but often clung to it—as my mate buckled him in. He loved going places, and if he was awake, preferred the stroller. When it was sleepies time, he'd pick being strapped to one of us every time. He was a little snuggle buggle, that was for sure.

I didn't know what to expect as we walked through the parking lot to the main entrance, but I was pleasantly surprised by how the park had been completely transformed. The arts festival sprawled across the park, filled with vibrant colors, bustling activity, and the sweet sound of music drifting through the air. Booths lined the pathways, offering everything from intricate handmade jewelry to expressive paintings, pottery, and textiles. Performers entertained with street music, dancers swirled to lively beats, and the air was alive with creativity. And of course, there was a food truck alley. The place had the makings of a fabulous day.

The scent of cotton candy hit my nose—because what would an adventurous day at the park be without cotton candy? I wanted to follow it and grab my own, but if we weren't systematic about how we navigated the space, we were going to miss things, and I had a feeling we didn't want that. There was treasure to be found here. I could feel it.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Kai squeed.

"I'll push." I grabbed the stroller handle.

They walked beside me, Kai in the middle, holding both Dante's and Gideon's hands as we started down the path toward the art that was for sale.

There were some really cool artists, some of them mixing mediums with paint and recycled trash. I was quite taken with those—the idea of making something beautiful out of things people once discarded was pretty cool to me.

"I think Albie's more interested in this than we are." Kai chuckled.

"Look at his face—he's mesmerized," I agreed. He was watching everything so intently. It was so stinking adorable, I couldn't even.

"Art speaks to everyone." I grinned. "Even the little ones."

We stopped by a booth where a woman painted abstract landscapes on glass. Dante was fascinated, stepping closer to ask her about her process. She smiled warmly and explained how each stroke was a way to connect the energy of nature with human emotion. I never understood artspeak, but I didn't need to to feel her passion.

"I could watch this all day," Dante said, completely captivated.

Gideon, meanwhile, had wandered over to a booth selling intricate wooden carvings. He picked up a small carved dragon, examining the detailed wings and scales. "What do you think?" he asked, holding it up for me to see.

"It's beautiful. Maybe we should get it for Albie's room," I suggested. It wasn't snuggle worthy, but it was well done and not breakable which were two big pluses in my book.

Gideon nodded, smiling softly. "Yeah, I think he'd like that."

There were also more traditional painters, art sketchers, and digital artists. I watched the digital artists zoom in, draw a couple of pixels, then zoom back out, repeating the process as if it were second nature. Their pieces ranged from the ridiculously ironic to dark, horror-themed works, to simple, everyday scenes. I loved them and ended up picking up a couple that I thought we might frame for the living room.

"I really like these," Kai said, pointing to a booth filled with clothing.

It wasn't what I expected for an art walk, but then I saw why it absolutely belonged here. Like the paintings we had seen earlier that combined garbage to create new art, this clothing was made from recycled clothing. They even had a ton of children's clothes. It was safe to say we spoiled Albie, picking out little outfits for him—not just in his current size, but in the next two sizes as well.

When Albie woke up and was ready to eat, we pulled over to a grassy area and sat down, enjoying the day as he enjoyed his meal. We people watched, which ended up being just as entertaining as the artists were.

"What should we do next?" I asked. "There's a puppet show in ten minutes. There's also Food Truck Alley."

"Food Truck Alley," Kai jumped in, singing, "obviously!"

We grabbed food from a truck selling homemade empanadas, and at another, fresh fruit smoothies. And of course we grabbed some cotton candy. That was hardly something I could pass by.

We sat at the picnic tables, sharing the meal while listening to a nearby band playing jazz. Albie bopped his head to the sound. It was officially the cutest thing ever. Albie had a way of showing us a new "cutest thing ever." It was his super power.

We left the park later that day with our bellies full, far more art than we needed, and the undercarriage of the stroller packed to the brim. But more than that, we left with a whole lot of great memories. What could be better than that?