Chapter 219: Onto the Ferris Wheel

Adrian pays the stall manager, getting three shots in exchange. 

In this game, he has to aim for a specific number of combinations in order to win certain prizes. He settles his shoulders back, reading the number combination for the prize he is trying to get, and then, he is throwing his shots in rapid succession.

The stall manager smiles at him as he wins, handing over the prize.

"A penguin...!" Cassidy chirped with a grin, taking the stuffed toy from him.

"I love it! Why a penguin, though?"

"It kind of reminds me of our date at an aquarium park two years ago..." Adrian brought up, blushing in spite of himself. 

"I remember how you dream of squeezing a penguin to death."

"Pffttt...! Yeah, I think I did something like that. Thank you, Adrian!"

She gives him a big smooch on his cheek before she takes his hand, making him smile all giddily. He allows her to pull him along, though he is a little puzzled.

"Where are we going now, Cassidy?"

"To the Ferris Wheel! You said you'd ride with me, didn't you?"

"Oh, right."

With that, the two of them make their way to the Ferris Wheel. Not a lot of people are on it, and there's not much of a line, so they're able to get in relatively quick. She settles down on the seat alongside him, still hugging the stuffed penguin to her chest.

"Hey, Adrian, did you know that apparently some people have Ferris Wheel phobia because it's always the Ferris Wheels that get destroyed or attacked in movies?" Cassidy started again with a little trivia, earning a raised brow from Adrian. 

"Where'd you learn that?"

"Just another one of Asher's movie facts. But I'm not scared."

She pauses for a bit before she turns to stare out of the window. With a small smile, she then adds softly, "Looking out at the world like this - nothing seems scary about this view."

Adrian does the same, turning from looking at Cassidy to looking at the horizon where an ocean of lights lie beneath a pool of stars. The sky may be dark, but the amusement park brightens up the surroundings. He doesn't really see anything particularly noteworthy in here, though. All he sees is the world switching colors. 

If he had been looking at the view objectively, then perhaps it may have been magnificent. It may have been a little magical. But as he looks out into the world, all he can think of is, 'What a lovely evening.'

Because the only view that's magnificent – the only thing that's magical – is this firecracker of a woman who's sitting right next to him.

"Thanks for bringing all of us here today, Adrian..." she told him, smiling gently.

"I think everyone really had fun."

"You're welcome," he croaked out, still a little breathless.

Cassidy looks radiant even when against the night sky. Her crimson red hair glows softly. The golds and silvers of the lights kiss her skin, giving it a rosy color. Yet despite the boldness of her hues, she looks calm and serene - like an angel.

He's afraid that if he blinks, she'll vanish from his sight.

"Adrian?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you remember how you asked me if I wanted something for Christmas?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Well, I kind of want something like this again. A special occasion with everyone."

Adrian gives Cassidy a smile, not at all surprised. It's just so like her to ask for something like that. 

"Of course. Anything you want, Cassidy."

She grins and scoots closer to him, thinking of something. Then, she leans her head on his shoulder before she places the stuffed toy in between them.

"Hold Mr. Penguin, Adrian!" she said, beaming. 

"Huh?" he blurted out, confused.

Still, he did as she said and put his hand on top of the stuffed toy. She lays her own on his before continuing, "Mr. Penguin here shall lay witness to Adrian's promise! He shall be the reminder that everyone will be spending Christmas together this year!"

Adrian only laughed at Cassidy's antics, loving the child in her that never went away even after all these years. 

---

Eventually, they got out of the Ferris Wheel. 

Adrian turns in the direction of the entrance where the others might be waiting. But then, Cassidy suddenly slips her hand around his arm and tugs him to where the pier is. 

"Cassidy, where are we going? It's getting too late," he asked, baffled. 

Not giving him an answer, she just continues to lead him down to the pier. She then stops by the railing on the seaside. There, they both turn to look out at the sea.

A cool breeze ruffles their hair while they watch how the stars at the night sky as well as the theme park's lights sparkle on the water.

"Why're we here?" he questioned, breaking the silence.

"I wanted to show you something pretty. I saw this earlier."

Her cheeks heat up a little right then, endearing him. But before he can say something again, she turns and gestures out to the water.

"It's pretty, right? The way the lights are dancing on the water."

"What're you trying to get at?"

While Adrian furrows his brows, Cassidy fiddles with the penguin stuffed toy and lightly kicks on the gravel beneath their feet. She opens her mouth to answer him, but then closes it again. And he thinks that there might be something more behind the blush on her face.

"What is it, Cassidy...?" he pried gently.

"You can tell me."

"It's just that..." she trailed off and frowned.

"I remember how you keep calling yourself unworthy. How you act like you're always the one to blame. And how you look down on yourself. I've noticed, you know - out of everyone, you're the one you can't forgive the most."

Adrian didn't respond for a moment. He's not sure why Cassidy is bringing that up all of the sudden, but he's not going to deny any of that. 

"If you brought me here to tell me that I'm wrong, you can save your breath-"

"No...!" she exclaimed, cutting him off. 

"You don't understand."

"Then, why are we here, Cassidy?"

"Because I wanted to tell you that even if you feel like the weight of your sins are as dark and as murky as this water, you still have stars shining inside of you – you still have your good parts. Millions of good parts, even!"

She smiles up at him and blushes harder, clutching the stuffed toy to her chest. This is just so not like her. But for some reason, she feels the need to let it out somehow. 

"I know, I know, it's a weird analogy. I'm not a smartass like you-"

He suddenly interrupts her with a burst of laughter, much to her surprise. Affronted, she looks at him sharply, pouting.

"W-Why're you laughing at me?!"

His laughter dies down as his arms encircle her, bringing her closer. With a fond smile, he pulls her in for an embrace. He then leans his forehead on hers, staring straight at her and lightly brushing his nose against hers. 

"You really are something else, Cassidy."