The Pleasure Park

That feeling in your stomach when you realise that one of your children is not where you thought they were is indescribable. The initial panic is immediately followed by terror, dread, fearing the worst. Holly was feeling that horror right now as she frantically looked around trying to trace Luke her youngest. 

She’d been happy and relaxed moments earlier sure that Luke was with Debbie’s husband and their little girl but when Andy returned with only Daisy in tow Holly’s world changed.  She stared at Andy in disbelief as they had the I thought he was with you, I thought he was with you conversation and then the search started in earnest. Debbie stayed put with the kids while the Andy and Holly and Debbie’s eldest, Kerry, scattered around the pleasure park in the desperate hunt for little Luke.

As Holly moved purposely around the park she cursed herself for coming today. Debbie had talked her into it that morning on the phnone, they had a free pass for the park and it would be fun. But Holly hadn’t been sure, she hated trekking around crowded places without her husband Mark in tow to help with the crowd control. But Debbie had been persuasive and Holly for once had been impulsive.

Her eyes darted around, processing children then moving on when she registered it was not her 4 year old. But it was getting difficult, suddenly every child was wearing a blue cap like her Luke, every child was wearing red shorts, every child had strawberry blond hair. She saw Luke everywhere and nowhere. 

But then, then finally she saw him, her Luke, her lovely, smiling Luke. But if she was elated to see him she was horrified to see him holding hands with a man. Her first thought was that some dirty pervert was trying to abduct her lovely little boy, but then she recognised the body attached to the hand.   It was Mark, her husband, Luke’s father. Luke had found his Daddy.

Mark gave her a cheerful peck on the cheek and explained that he’d got back from work early and come down to join the fun. He’d been looking for them when the boy had found him. They’d spent the last 20 minutes looking for her - knowing she’d be worried sick. 

The relief of finding Luke safe and well had fudged Holly’s mind, it was only later she realised that the daytrip had been a spur of the moment decision and she hadn’t told Mark where they were going... so what the hell was he doing there?