Chapter 237: Chapter 237: An Outing

“So there’s nothing for me, is that it?” Ethan Shaw was blessed with a handsome face, and the slightest hint of disappointment on it was devastatingly effective, especially when he intentionally lowered his voice.

Although she felt he was being unreasonable, for a brief moment, Naomi Kenway still felt a pang of guilt. “Alright, it was my fault for not thinking it through this time. I’ll buy you one next time.”

Due to their unique situation, Naomi Kenway had prepared a pair of oversized sunglasses for herself and her son before they left, large enough to cover most of their faces.

It didn’t matter whether Ethan Shaw wore them or not. He rarely appeared online, so he wasn’t afraid of being recognized.

The weather was hot. Seeing Naomi Kenway and Ian bundled up, Ethan Shaw suggested, “Let’s just book the whole park. That way, we won’t have to worry about being recognized and can have more fun.”

Naomi Kenway thought for a moment. “But I think the atmosphere is important too. An amusement park is only fun when it’s lively. If it’s too quiet, it’ll just feel empty.”

In the end, the two of them left the decision to Ian Shaw, letting Ian choose.

Ian Shaw frowned slightly, his face chubby and round. “I think… I like both ideas.”

Ethan Shaw said, “Let’s go with your mom’s idea, then.”

The amusement park had numerous attractions. Naomi Kenway immediately ruled out things like roller coasters, giant pendulum rides, and drop towers. It wasn’t suitable to take a four-year-old on such thrilling rides; besides, Ian wasn’t tall enough to meet the height requirements. Naomi herself had no interest in intense rides like roller coasters either. She had a bit of a fear of heights, and the repeated flips and rushes would only make her stomach churn.

In the end, they chose a few of the tamer attractions.

While Ethan Shaw held the child’s hand, Naomi Kenway went to the park map to study it and plan their route.

She knew she had a terrible sense of direction, so just in case, she had Ethan Shaw look at it and memorize it too.

It wasn’t the family’s first time at an amusement park, but their last visit could probably be summed up with the words “awkward” and “cold.”

After getting used to each other over the past few days, Naomi Kenway felt that her relationship with Ethan Shaw had improved quite a bit.

Ethan Shaw helped Ian onto his shoulders. From his new, higher vantage point, Ian looked around curiously, taking everything in.

Taking advantage of his height, he could easily see people in mascot costumes performing in the central area, and Ian instinctively stared for a few extra moments.

After riding the carousel and the bumper cars, Ian’s little face was beaming. Watching from the side, Naomi Kenway started smiling too.

Ethan Shaw glanced sideways and asked, “Are there any rides you’d like to go on?”

Naomi Kenway thought for a moment before shaking her head. Growing up, Rose Kenway had often brought her to amusement parks. In the blink of an eye, she had gone from a child being led by an adult to an adult leading a child.

At noon, they ate at one of the amusement park’s restaurants. After ordering, the three of them found a relatively quiet corner. Naomi Kenway didn’t take off her sunglasses and was extra careful while eating, afraid she would get them dirty.

Suddenly, a young man with a camera walked over from a nearby table. He said, “Hello, you’re a beautiful family. May I take a picture of you?”

Naomi Kenway thought about how they hadn’t taken many pictures while on the rides. A photo taken by a professional photographer would surely be more beautiful and worth keeping. After asking Ethan Shaw, she agreed.

The photographer seemed exceptionally delighted and raised his camera. “Would you mind taking off your sunglasses?”

“Sorry, that’s not really convenient.” It was Ethan Shaw who answered.

“Alright, then.” Although the young photographer was a bit disappointed, he didn’t insist. He printed the photos and handed them over. “I picked out the three with the best lighting. I hope you like them.”

Naomi Kenway took them and admired them with Ethan Shaw and Ian beside her, then thanked the photographer.

After leaving the amusement park at three in the afternoon, the family went to a shopping mall. Their main goal was to buy a set of matching family outfits.

Naomi Kenway was a regular at this store. After hearing what Naomi was looking for, the sales associate expertly showed them several sets of matching outfits.

Naomi Kenway first asked Ethan Shaw, “What do you think? Want to try them on?”

The corners of Ethan Shaw’s lips curved up slightly. “Alright, let’s try them on.”

They tried on eight outfits in total. In the end, with a grand gesture, Ethan Shaw bought them all.

Downstairs, they went to the arcade. Ian wasn’t interested in games like the fishing simulator or the dance machine; his gaze was fixed on a little brown bear wearing a tie inside a claw machine.

“You like this little bear, Ian?”

Ian nodded, his eyes sparkling. “Dad, Mom, can I have this little bear?”

Naomi Kenway immediately went and got a lot of game tokens, her target clear: the little bear. Naomi grabbed the joystick and tried a few times, but each time she barely managed to grip the prize. After several failed attempts, Naomi couldn’t help but feel a little frustrated. With her son watching expectantly with wide eyes beside her, she had to suppress her irritation and keep trying.

Still no luck.

“Let me try.” Ethan Shaw’s voice came from behind her.

Naomi Kenway moved aside and let Ethan Shaw take her place.

She watched as he focused his gaze, slowly adjusting the joystick. The claw quickly grabbed the little bear.

Both Naomi Kenway and Ian held their breath, afraid to disturb Ethan Shaw’s concentration.

Finally! The little bear with the tie was successfully retrieved.

Ethan Shaw handed it to Naomi Kenway, who looked it over before giving it to Ian.

Ian hugged the little bear, looking very excited. “Thank you, Daddy! Thank you, Mommy!”

Ethan Shaw had succeeded on his first try. Naomi Kenway was a little impressed. “I didn’t expect you to be so good at claw machines.”

“When we were little, Jenna Shaw loved these dolls and always pestered me to win them for her. I haven’t played one of these in a long time. It was just good luck this time; I didn’t expect to get it on the first try.”

Naomi Kenway nodded. “So you have experience.”

With the little bear now in hand, there were still plenty of game tokens left in the box. Ian was completely absorbed with the teddy bear in his arms, showing no interest in the claw machine anymore.

So, Naomi Kenway divided the remaining tokens into two piles, handing one to Ethan Shaw. “Here, let’s have a competition.”

Ethan Shaw asked with interest, “What kind of competition did you have in mind?”

“Let’s see who can win the most dolls.”

“Alright.”

After a couple of tries, Naomi Kenway started to get the hang of it. Her hand grew steadier, and the pile of dolls beside her grew larger.

When it was time to count, Naomi Kenway had six dolls on her side.

As for Ethan Shaw…

Naomi Kenway counted them: five.

“I won.” Her earlier frustration vanished completely, and her expression was full of delight.

“Wow! Mommy’s amazing!” Ian Shaw played along, laying on the praise.

Infected by Naomi Kenway’s joyful expression, Ethan Shaw smiled slightly. “Yeah, she’s amazing. I lost.”

Naomi Kenway’s smile grew wider. She looked at Ian dotingly and said, “All these dolls we won are for you, Ian. We’ll put them in your bedroom when we get home, okay?”

“Thank you, Daddy and Mommy!” Ian said, pleasantly surprised.

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