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Rated: 13+ · Short Story · Family · #2142940
After an amazing time at the museum, all Tommy wants is to get to the Turtle Pond.
         It was the perfect Saturday. Cloudless sky, cool breeze. Not too cold, not too hot. Perfect weather. The birds sang and played among the trees in the beautiful Central Park, right across the street from the American Museum Of Natural History, Tommy's new favorite place since watching that awesome movie about dinosaurs in class some weeks ago.
         Mommy and daddy had brought him to the museum every Saturday for the past five weeks and every week Tommy got more excited about the place. He was four years old and already knew the names of every dinosaur known to man by heart. Daddy had grown up loving dinosaurs too and was as happy as he could be spending so much time in that magical place with Tommy, who already knew more about dinosaurs than he did.
         As always, they left the museum and went across the street to the park to get some ice cream. After getting ice cream they would go to the Turtle Pond through Shakespeare's Garden and, while mommy sat by a tree to read or write the novel she was working on, Tommy and daddy counted turtles, ran around the Belvedere Castle and played catch. This Saturday, however, mommy and daddy had a different plan. Daddy was supposed to take Tommy to the park and get ice cream while mommy stayed behind at the museum shop to surprise Tommy with a Dinosaur Skull Excavation kit and the 18 inches plush T.Rex, Tommy's favorite dinosaur.
         Everything was going well but Tommy got too excited at the museum visit today, and he got too anxious to go to the pond, play with daddy and release all that energy. The sooner mommy got back and they had ice cream the sooner they would go. Daddy kept telling him that mommy would be back soon, they just had to get the ice cream and wait for her there. Tommy kept pulling daddy's shirt, rushing him and telling him to get mommy.
         Daddy paid for the ice cream, took the first cone from the nice lady serving them and gave it to Tommy to keep him busy. Tommy grabbed the ice cream and, when daddy turned to get the two other cones, instead of devouring it he turned around and bolted for mommy. The sooner she got her ice cream the sooner they would all go to the pond. He could already see her across the street.
         Daddy thanked the lady, got his and mommy's ice creams, turned around and Tommy was gone. He smiled. The little devil was probably going to the pond already. Tommy was hyper today. Daddy looked over at the path that leads to Shakespeare's Garden knowing he would find Tommy licking his ice cream, going merrily to their spot. Tommy wasn't there.
         Car horns and tires screeching suddenly, and deafeningly, silenced the birds.
         "No!"
         Daddy knew who had screamed, he knew that voice only too well after what seemed like an entire lifetime by her side. A happy, beautiful life. Never had he heard that voice in that way. He turned towards the museum and the world stopped turning. Ice cream on the floor, he ran to the street.
         Daddy yanked Tommy off the ground and held him tight against his chest. For a second he was relieved.
         Tommy heard daddy crying, he heard him but couldn't look at him, daddy wouldn't let him look anywhere, only towards daddy's chest. He couldn't look at daddy but he pulled his shirt and told him he was ok, mommy had got in the way.
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