Kaira’s little face was set in concentration as she scanned for her beloved Arnold, but it was Clement who said, “I see the armadildo! It’s in that hole!”
Oh bollocks. Rowan desperately tried to clamp down on the laugh, but when it couldn’t escape his mouth, it came out through his nose with a kind of burning sensation. He could feel the fence they were leaning on shaking in time with Jordy’s shoulders as he stifled laughter of his own. “Right you are, Clem. That must be Arnold.”
By mutual agreement, Rowan and Jordy stepped back from the enclosure then, far enough that they didn’t have to hear the kids’ conversation and the kids wouldn’t hear theirs. Rowan put a hand over his eyes as he hiccupped through a fit of giggles. “Fucking—armadildos,” he gasped as he finally straightened.
Next to him, Jordy let out a very loud snort. “Shhh, you can’t—you can’t let them know it’s funny,” he whispered. “They’ll never stop repeating it.”
The idea set Rowan off again. “I know,” he hissed. “God, how do you do this parenting thing full-time?”
“I’ve got a nanny,” Jordy said dryly.
Rowan wiped a tear from under one eye and finally managed to stand up straight. “Whew, okay. That’s not the kind of exotic animal I thought we’d see at the zoo, you know. Next it’ll be leather bears.”
Jordy looked at him sideways. “Cougars?”
“Anacondas.”
A beat. Then Jordy suggested, “Mandrills?”
Rowan hiccupped again. Jordy grinned, almost boyish, pleased with himself for making Rowan laugh. Or… well, okay, Rowan was probably projecting a bit, but he liked that they could have a good time together, even if it was a platonic outing at the zoo with a pair of six-year-old chaperones. Rowan could always use another friend.
They stayed for another ten minutes as a zookeeper brought Alice out closer to show off how good she was at finding food—she navigated quite a few obstacles in her search and then quickly realized when the goodies were gone and waddled back to the meal she’d been eating before.
Apparently the kids took this as a signal, because they turned away from the enclosure like they shared a hive mind. Kaira immediately put her hand in Jordy’s, while Clem gave Rowan a somewhat distrustful look before taking his. “So,” Rowan said cheerfully, “where to next? I think it’s your turn to pick, Clem.” He hoped to any god listening the kid didn’t sayhorny toads.
“Let’s look at the map first,” Jordy suggested before Clem could answer.
Right. Because they didn’t want to traipse all the way across the zoo between every exhibit.
It took until they finished exploring the Americas Pavilion, where Rowan fell in love with a pair of frisky river otters who seemed as enchanted by their audience as the audience was with them, before the reality of being out in public with a famous person intruded.
They were just heading toward the Canadian Domain when a young couple with a kid in a Shield T-shirt stopped them. “Sorry, I know you’re here with your family”—the man gave Rowan and Clem a curious look—“but could we get a selfie?”
Jordy’s momentary hesitation made Rowan step forward. “Here, why don’t I take it?” That would draw less attention and be a better photo besides. He could see Jordy glancing around, gauging the interest around them.
After he handed the phone back, he slid his arm through Jordy’s, keeping hold of Clem in the other hand, and steered them all toward the nearest gift shop. “So I think,” he said, “that we need to find you a hat. For sunburn reasons.”
Jordy frowned but didn’t resist. “I’m wearing a hat.”
“Yes. An Under Armour hat. Very under the radar. Let’s get you a safari hat. A nice big one with a wide brim.”
Once Kaira realized the plan, she was fully on board and insisted they each get one. Luckily for Rowan’s plan and Jordy’s introversion, the zoo had a family set of safari hats. After some light tomfoolery, Kaira settled them in front of a mirror so she could assess their look. Thanks to the matching hats, Kaira’s and Jordy’s matching hair, and Clement’s darker skin tone landing somewhere between Kaira’s and Rowan’s, they really did look like a modern nuclear family, ready to grace a progressive advert for the zoo. It was adorable.
Jordy paid for their hats with a black credit card, then stuffed the hats they had arrived with into his backpack. After a brief interlude to hand out water and granola bars, they resumed their tour.
A few animals later, it dawned on Rowan that onlookers’ gazes had changed. There was a flavor of indulgence now, as if Rowan wasn’t the only one who thought they looked like an adorable family. He tried to see their group from outside eyes. Two men following two children with soft smiles, sharing looks whenever the kids did something especially adorable. Kaira was taller than Clem and bossier, which he supposed outsiders might interpret as an age gap greater than it was—Kaira had keenly explained that she had been six forever but Clem’s birthday had been only last week—and see two siblings. Strangers saw a family, a unit.
Rowan didn’t hate it.
“Look!” Kaira squealed. “Moose!” She grabbed Rowan’s hand and dragged him to the fence. No, Rowan didn’t hate this at all.
“Moose,” Rowan agreed. The alarmingly large animal, with a head full of antlers big enough to sit in, stood several feet away, slowly munching on vegetation. Rowan had never been so close to one before, and he was starting to question the sanity of anyone who tried to build settlements close to their habitats.
“Did you know that his antlers willfalloff?” Kaira’s tone wavered between disbelief and ghoulish delight.
“What?”
“They do. Daddy says so.” Her tone suggested some doubt as to Daddy’s honesty.
