Quixotic (2)

5

"What changed your mind?" She asked with a hesitant smile as he continued to hold her camera hostage around his neck. They stepped through the ticket booth and he paid the entry fee, "You could've dropped the bag and ran." She hummed, noticing the small smirk on his lips as he glanced back on her.

"My theory is, you left that bag at my place on purpose." He grinned, teasing, "You wanted me to come chasing after you."

"Your theory is incorrect." She told him with a playful grin as they entered the area, "Where would you like to go first, Mil?" She asked, noticing how Brian snapped a picture of her leaning forward to talk to the child, "You could have given us a warning."

"I don't want to miss a moment." He hummed, shrugging, "If you posed, it wouldn't be as genuine."

"Fine." She sighed, "Play paparazzi for the day, but make sure the pictures come out good."

"Relax, I work on television." He hummed proudly, snapping another photo of the pair.

"Yes, but that doesn't prove you are good with a camera." She said with a small smile, telling him sternly, "If you break it, you buy it."

"Yeah, yeah. I know the drill." He rolled his eyes and stepped forward to follow them, playing photographer as Mila stopped to look at the monkeys through the bars, "So, what's your story?" Brian asked her with a hesitant grin, snapping a picture of the slight glare in her eyes as she turned to face him, "How did you come to taking care of a six year old?"

"Well, she hasn't always been six." She hummed jokingly, a small smile pulling at her lips as she turned to glance down at the child, answering, "She was only a year old when I became her legal guardian."

"What happened to her parents?" He asked quietly, moving along the path to follow the child.

"You have a lot of questions." She hummed, a hesitant smile on her lips as they slowly inched forward, "If you must know, they killed themselves." She shrugged her shoulders, explaining, "They sent Mila to my apartment for the night, then lit their place up in flames."

"That's, uh, brutal." He hummed, watched as her eyes fell to look down. She lifted Mila from the ground and propped the child on her hip to give her a better view of the Giraffes in the distance, "You know, I used to be a fireman."

"Now, you're an actor on television." She teased, a playful grin on her lips as she turned away to look out at the scenery. He lifted the camera and snapped a picture as she turned to look back at him, a hesitant grin playing on her lips, "What was that for?" She asked with a gentle laugh escaping through her words.

"I thought it would make a good picture." He shrugged, replaying the image on the screen. He scanned her beautiful hazel eyes and a small smile pulled at his lips as he continued, telling her, "I was right."

"Look, monkey hill!" Mila exclaimed pointing to the large play area down the path, "Can I? Please, Snow?"

"I don't want you playing in the water." Aria scolded, telling the child, "This wind is killer, and I don't want you getting sick."

"Please, Snow!" She begged, saying with big eyes, "I won't get wet."

"You've got twenty minutes." She scolded as she placed the child onto her feet. Mila ran forward, and Aria flinched, watching as she ran toward the hill, "Remember the rules, and check in!" She shouted, a nervous smile on her lips as she and Brian continued forward to find a bench in front of the play area.

When she ran back toward the pair at the bench, her hair and clothes were soaked, and her lips were trembling, "I told you not to play in the water, Mil!" Aria scolded, shaking her head, "It's less than fifty degrees outside! You're going to get sick."