Battle Wounds

two.

"You, too, Harper," Lucas told her. "It'll be good for you to leave the house."

"What's Valley Fest?" Harper asked. She heard the event thrown around over the last few weeks but hadn't paid much attention to it.

"The Valley has a festival every summer. Big and small businesses set up stands to promote themselves. But there's also food, music, games, and rides," Olivia explained. "It's actually pretty fun. Kind of like a carnival."

"Sounds fun," she answered.

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Harper stood at the entrance to Valley Fest, feeling overwhelmed. Her eyes darted across the large field that served as the home to the festival. Music played through the speakers and carried across the vast area, mixing with the sounds of games, rides, and peoples' conversations and laughter. There was so much to look at that she didn't know where to focus her attention.

"Woah." Cole's eyes lit up as he looked from one area to the next. "This is so cool."

"Sweet!" Lucas exclaimed. He was possibly even more excited than Cole, taking in everything the festival offered. "Oh, we're so going on those rides," he said, nudging Olivia.

Olivia laughed, shaking her head at her husband's excitement. She led the way further into the festival, and everyone followed behind. People walked every which way, their exhilaration palpable and contagious.

Olivia grabbed Lucas' arm, nodding towards a table up ahead. "Looks like the LaRussos are already here. Let's go say hi."

"Quite a turnout, huh?" Lucas said as they approached the table.

A man dressed in a karate uniform turned around. He appeared to be a few years older than the Hudsons, but his face was kind, a smile already directed toward them. "Lucas, Olivia. It's so good to see you."

"You too, Daniel. Where's your wife?" Lucas asked.

"She's right here." A woman stepped up beside Daniel, a smile stretching across her face. "Did you guys just get here?"

"Yeah, a couple of minutes ago," Olivia answered. "Wow. This place looks busier than last year."

"Right?" Amanda nodded, letting her eyes drift over the festival. "They probably heard that Daniel's going to promote his karate dojo with a demonstration tonight," she said, a touch of sarcasm coating her words, but her smile remained, indicating that she was only joking.

"Amanda," Daniel said with a sigh, shaking his head.

Lucas showed a mild interest at the mention of the demonstration. "So, you finally did it, huh? Two-time karate champ opens his own dojo."

Daniel laughed, then nodded. "Yeah. I figured it was time to show these kids the right way to fight." His eyes fell upon Cole before noticing Harper, and a curious look danced in his eyes. "So you must be Harper."

Harper nodded. "Yeah, uhm, nice to meet you."

"We've heard a lot about you," Amanda told her. "How are you settling in?"

"Good. Yeah, it-it's great," she answered with a smile.

"Glad to hear it. You know, our daughter's around here somewhere. I'm think you two would get along," Daniel said, his eyes darting around the area. "She and Robby will be here soon."

"I didn't realize Sam was friends with him," Lucas said, sharing a surprised look with Olivia.

Daniel nodded with a chuckle. "He's actually staying with us for a little while. His mom left him alone, and Johnny didn't exactly step in to help." He continued quickly after seeing the look Lucas threw his way. "No offense. I know you're friends with Johnny, but he's not exactly involved in Robby's life."