xxiii. vacation
10.05

Toronto, in Ontario Canada, was not what Atlas had expected to say the least. He was living in Seattle. This was different, but yet so similar.

He had handed his younger brother a wad of cash in exchange for watching over the dogs — which was a much needed break for him to get away from the baby and Meredith to sleep.

Atlas and his family had arrived at the airport, no plans in place besides the suitcases and idea to go somewhere for the weekend.

The first flight they could get on was to Toronto, Canada. Apparently it was nice, a few cold spells here and there but from what the flight attendant said, the weather forecast was clear and sunny.

She was right, thank goodness.

"Look, sweetheart." Atlas said as he pointed to something for Starlee to see. Her cheeks lit up and a small grin appeared on her face. There was a lady standing in the street, a handful of puppies trailing after her. She seemed to be a dog walker, one who was seemingly struggling to keep a certain puppy under control.

"Help, daddy?"

Atlas nodded, glancing at Derek and Cameron who were way to busy with the comic book stand to notice if they stepped away. Hand in hand, Atlas and Starlee walked towards where the woman was now standing.

"Ma'am, do you need some help?" Atlas asked, looking down at the puppy who tried its hardest to move towards Starlee, whom was giggling sweet giggles. "Miss?"

"Please!" The woman nodded frantically as she handed the leash to Atlas, sighing in relief. "That's drinks, which is ironic because he loves to knock over any of my drinks."

Starlee giggled as she wiggled her fingers, the eager puppy licking at them. She looked away briefly, smiling at her dad. "Can we get a puppy?"

Atlas was about 97 percent sure that Starlee would grow into an old lady who owned a puppy daycare. He could feel it in his heart that she was destined to have as many dogs as she could, just like himself.

"Oh, sweetheart, I don't think so." He said softly, petting the puppy who seemed to sadden and slow its once eager movements.

"They are adoptable, sir." The woman spoke. "I work for an animal shelter up the road, we're just out for our daily walk."

"Atlas?" Derek called out, hand in hand with Cameron and the two walking forward towards where Atlas and Starlee were. "Oh look, puppies!"

Man o' man was Atlas screwed.

"Dadda, I want this one!" Starlee blinked and gave a lopsided smile to Derek, who melted under her gaze. "Please!"

Derek turned towards Atlas. "How can I say no, baby."

╚═ ☆ ═╝

"Welcome to Ripley's Aquarium of Canada!" A younger man, looking to be about seventeen, spoke with a paid enthusiastic voice. "Two adults, two children?"

Derek nodded and pulled his wallet from his back pocket, fishing out some Canadian bills and handing them to the person behind the counter. "We sure are. Do you have anything special happening today; we're from out of town."

The teenager nodded, still holding the same smile as before. "We have a play date with Smith the sea lion, and Ray the sting ray. Are you interested?"

Atlas and Derek shared a look, both the parents nodding in agreement. "Absolutely, sign us up!" Atlas replied happily, giving his husband's now free hand a quick squeeze.

"Perfect. They're both at different times. If you could follow the green line, you'll meet with a group who are doing the activity with you. A leader will be there to aid you."

Derek led the way down the green line, behind him, Starlee and Cameron were pretending the tape was like a tightrope. Arms spread out and wobbling slightly.

"Atlas?" Cameron looked over his shoulder once they reached the group, moving closer towards him and reaching up to grab his hand. "What if Smith the Sea lion bites?"

Atlas's eyes softened as she crouched down, placing both hands on Cameron's shoulders. "I won't let him. And Smith looks so sweet, but would you be more comfortable if I played with him first?"

Cameron nodded.

As the group gathered around the sea lion exhibit, the guide began explaining the safety rules and what to expect during the play date. "Smith is very friendly and loves to interact with visitors. Just remember to follow the instructions, and you'll have a fantastic time."

Atlas gave Cameron's hand a reassuring squeeze. "See? Everything will be fine. Let's have some fu, okay Cam? But if you're scared, just tell me and we can take another step back."

The guide invited Atlas to step forward first. He approached the edge of the pool, where Smith the sea lion was already waiting with a curious and playful look. Atlas knelt down and gently extended his hand towards Smith, who responded by nuzzling his fingers with his nose.

"Good boy, Smith," Atlas said softly, his smile widening. He glanced back at Cameron. "See? He's very gentle."

Encouraged by his adoptive dad's interaction with Smith, Cameron took a deep breath and stepped forward. Atlas guided him to kneel beside him, still holding his hand. Smith looked at Cameron with his big, friendly eyes, and Cameron tentatively reached out his hand.

Smith nuzzled Cameron's fingers just as gently as he had with Atlas, and Cameron's face lit up with a mixture of surprise and delight. "He's really nice!" Cameron exclaimed and giggled, looking up at Atlas with a wide grin.

"Yes, he is," Atlas said, giving Cameron an encouraging nod. "Now, do you want to try feeding him?"

Cameron nodded eagerly, and the guide handed him a small bucket of fish. With Atlas's help, Cameron took a fish from the bucket and offered it to Smith, who accepted it with a happy bark.

"You're doing great," Atlas said, his eyes shining with pride as he watched Cameron interact with Smith. "I'm so proud of you, buddy."

Derek and Starlee watched from a short distance, both smiling at the heartwarming scene. "They're having so much fun," Derek said, wrapping an arm around Starlee's shoulders.

"Yeah!" Starlee agreed, her eyes fixed on her brother and Atlas. "I can't wait."

After spending some more time playing with Smith, the guide led the group to the next activity with Ray the sting ray. Cameron's confidence had grown, and he eagerly looked forward to the next adventure at Ripley's Aquarium of Canada.

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