Gathered on a picnic blanket with three children, Ellinor enjoyed the sweet treats and sushi Marissa had made for their lunch.
A little distance away, Moran and Veronica were engaged in a deep conversation. Having just cleared the air about something, both were a tad bit shy.
Baberâs face was smeared with sushi sauce. Ellinor handed him a napkin. âEat slowly. Donât choke.â
Baber nodded obediently.
Adrian, on the other hand, had his eyes glued to the Mechanical Hero Kite soaring above them. Seeing the kite drift off, he hastily crammed the remaining sushi into his mouth and stood up. âMommy, Iâm full!
Iâm going over to Aunt Veronica!â
Ellinor turned to her youngest. âRun slowly. Be careful not to trip!â
Adrian nodded and scampered off towards Veronica.
Ellinor watched as Adrian reached Veronica before she turned back to Baber and Layla, offering them some water from the bottle to prevent any choking incidents.
Baber and Layla were behaving beautifully, quietly eating their lunch by her side.
Ellinor occasionally glanced towards Veronica, keeping an eye on Adrian.
Initially, everything seemed fine, with Adrian staying close to Veronica and watching the kite. However, when she looked again, Adrian was nowhere to be seen.
Ellinor felt a sudden chill as she stood up and began looking around.
âVeronica, whereâs Adrian?â
Hearing Ellinorâs voice, Veronica, who was engrossed in conversation with Moran, looked around in surprise. âAdrian? He was just here watching the kite.â Ellinor glanced at the Mechanical Hero Kite, which had significantly lowered. She had a suspicion that he went over there. âVeronica, Moran, can you two watch Baber and Layla? Iâm going to find Adrian.â
Veronica looked worried. âEllinor, where are you going?â
Ellinor didnât turn back but raised her voice. âI have an idea where Adrian is. Just watch Baber and Layla.â
Veronica sat anxiously as Moran patted her shoulder. âDonât worry; Ellinor probably knows where to find Adrian. Letâs go sit with Baber and Layla: We canât afford to lose another one.â
âAlrightâ¦â
Somewhere else, a Mechanical Hero Kite had fallen onto an open grassy area.
A little boy wearing a Mechanical Hero mask came running to pick it up, dusting it off gently before turning to head back to his father.
But another boy, about his height, stood in his way. The boy blinked with a hint of arrogance on his face. âHey, where did you get your Mechanical Hero Kite?â
Tristan, the boy with the mask, recognized the impolite boy but couldnât remember where heâd seen him, His father had always told him not to talk to strangers. So, he ignored the boy, picked up his kite, and walked away.
Adrian, frustrated at not getting an answer, followed Tristan. âWhy are you ignoring me? Iâm asking you a question!â
Tristan stood his ground. âMy dad said not to talk to strangers, and I donât have to answer their questions.â
Adrian disagreed and puffed out his chest. âThatâs not right! My mommy said to be polite and help others.â
Tristan snorted behind his mask. âYouâre not very polite. You just shouted âheyâ when asking a question.â