Coda

Prologue: Not Found By Myself

"Hey Dad, look at this!"

Joel finished the last bite of his hot dog, brushing his hands off on his pant legs as his six year old daughter came sprinting at him through the crowds milling around the carnival around them. "Whatcha got there honey?"

Sarah held up a hand, displaying a long multicolored tube extending from the end of her index finger. "Chinese handcuffs!" She said proudly. "Cool, huh? Uncle Tommy got 'em for me."

She pointed at her aforementioned Uncle, who was further back, walking towards them through the crowd.

"Course he did." Joel said, unsurprised. Tommy spoiled Sarah rotten. Always had. Probably always would too. Luckily, his daughter didn't abuse it too much.

Joel turned his attention back to the woven tube on his daughter's finger, frowning in confusion as he leaned forward to examine it more closely. "Chinese handcuffs huh?"

Gently, he wrapped his hand around hers so that he could rotate the strange contraption for closer inspection. The tube was a couple inches long, decorated with an orange and brown pattern on its outer surface. It looked flimsy as hell.

"How in the heck are these supposed work?"

Sarah smiled. "Gimme your hand." She said, reaching with her free hand to grab his arm.

Impatiently, she folded his other fingers so that only his pinky was extended, then slid it into the other end of the tube. It was a tight fit, considering that his hands were much bigger than hers, but she worked diligently, working the tube down until it reached the first joint of his finger.

"Gotcha!" she declared proudly as she finished, tugging on their joined hands for emphasis.

Curious, Joel mirrored the motion, only for the straw to tighten around his finger, preventing him from pulling the extremity away. "Huh."

Sarah smiled. "I gotcha now! You ain't ever getting away from me."

"Oh yeah?" Joel said, vigorously shaking his arm. Sarah laughed as she was jostled around in the process.

"You can pull as hard as you want Dad," she said, trying to resist being knocked off balance by her dad's flailing. "but they ain't gonna come off that way."

"How do I get em off then?"

Sarah smiled mischievously. "It's a secret."

Joel stopped shaking his arm, noting his daughter's expression with a raised eyebrow. She wanted something. "Alright, I'll bite. What's the secret?"

"I'll tell you, but first I want some cotton candy." She told him, pointing down towards the stall in the distance.

"Of course you do." Joel said. His gaze travelled from the stall back to his daughter, then over to his brother, who had finally reached them. "Uncle Tommy put you up to this, didn't he?"

"I did no such thing." Tommy protested. "Your daughter is a smart cookie who came up with this plan all by herself. All I did was give her the means to see it through."

Joel sighed. "She's got you wrapped around her little finger. You know that, right?"

"Oh yeah, like you're one to talk." Tommy replied, moving to stand behind his niece. He placed his hands on her shoulder, framing her face with his arms. "C'mon. Just look at that face. You can't say no to that."

Sarah continued to look up at her father, eyes still hopeful.

Joel scooped his daughter up with his free hand. Rather than carrying her towards the cotton candy stall, he turned on his heel, walking towards the car park instead.

"Not sure you thought this one through kiddo." he told her at seeing the surprised expression on her face. "See, I don't ever want to be apart from you."

He nuzzled against her, eliciting a series of shrieks and giggles as the rough hairs of his beard scraped against her skin. "And now you're stuck to me forever."

"Nuh-uh!" Sarah declared, gripping the middle of the Chinese handcuffs with her free hand and pushing her trapped finger closer in. With the surface tension relaxed, Sarah managed to pull her finger free easily.

Joel stopped walking, chuckling to himself as his daughter waved her free hand in his face in defiance. Just as planned. He didn't set her down though. She was getting big, and sooner or later he wouldn't be able to carry her like this anymore, so he savored it while he could.

"You know, if I get you cotton candy now, you're not gonna have room for the cake we have waiting for you at home?" He asked, trying to stop her from ruining her appetite one last time.

"Uh-uh!" Sarah argued. "I can eat both!"

"Okay kiddo. Okay." He sighed, turning on his heel and walking back towards the cotton candy stall. "But only cause it's your birthday. And you gotta share with Uncle Tommy and me. No hogging the whole thing to yourself."

"Fine." Sarah agreed. "Love you dad."

"I love you too, kiddo."