The Carousel. (AKA Enter Kathryn)

"I want to go on the horsie ride!" Courtney says as you step up and pay for entrance to the park.

Tommy chuckles to your left, "She loves the carousel. Which is good, my baby sis is usually the attendant there."

Jeremy looks up at his father, "Aunt Kate is working today? Is she going to come home with us?"

"I don't know. We'll ask, okay?" Tommy replies to his son, tousling his hair.

The four of you enter the park. The park in total was about one and a half times the size of an NFL Field. A little less than half of that was kiddie rides, while they had Bumper cars, a Rollercoaster and some batting cages for the older crowd. They also had the usual arcade and food court near the miniature golf course.

You carry Courtney to the carousel while Jeremy asks why you are carrying her. Tommy just shrugs, and grins at you. You wonder why you are still carrying the little girl yourself, but for some reason you don't want to let her go.

As you get up to the carousel a brunette shrieks and runs up up to Tommy, "BRO! I am SOOOo glad you are here!"

Tommy catches the girl in a hug lifting her off the ground. "Hey sis, didn't expect this reaction! Guess I should come over more often!"

The girl kissed her brother on the cheek and lets go of Tommy, "Okay you can let me go now ya big lug."

Tommy lets his sister go and turns to you, "Kate, you remember my boy John, right?"

You get a good look at her now as she looks at you with gray flecked blue eyes. She stands about 5'8" with a slim but athletic looking body. Her breasts were decently large, perhaps a large C or small D. Her lips were a little thin, but she had the cutest little button nose. She smiles at you, "Barely. I think the last time I saw him was when I was twelve...or thirteen. How are you?"

You smile at her, and adjust Courtney in your arms to hold your hand out to her, "I'm doing pretty good. Came home to see my mother. Just spending time with my old friends daughter now. How about you? How are you?" You ask.

"I'm doing great! I got accepted to my first choice for college, I got the summer internship at the school! Sadly I get that news and now my car won't start. I knew dad gave me a clunker."

Tommy chuckles, "That's Dad for ya.

Courtney shifts in your arms, "Hi Kate!"

Kathryn smiles at Courtney, "Heeeyyyy Courtney! May I?"

You nod and shift Courtney for Kathryn to hold. Of course this gets Jeremy miffed even more and he runs off to the Arcade, with Tommy following after him. Kathryn frowns after him, "Darn, I was going to pick him up too."

"Kate. Can I ask you something?"

Kathryn looks back at Courtney, "Of course sweetie, what is it?"

"Why are you always sad? Mr. John says it's because people make fun of you for your night blindedness thing."

"Uh...well...yeah that's a lot of it. Why?"

"I want you to be happy, you're so nice but you're never happy happy. You pretend, except when Uncle Tommy or Janine is around." Courtney says and lays her head on Kathryn's shoulder.

Kathryn hugs the little girl hard, "Oh, you are so sweet."

"Why are they mean to you? Your friends?"

"I...I don't know." Kathryn says, "So you want to go on the horsies?

Courtney lifts her head and stares at Kathryn for a second with her head tilted slightly. You swear you've seen that look in Doe before, the 'You're changing the subject, and I don't like it' look. But Courtney just smiles, "Yeah. Will Mr. John be able to come on?"

Kathryn looks at you, and her brow furrows a second, then with a quick glance between Courtney's face and yours her face clears, "Sure. I couldn't stop him."