The Prince's Temporary Wife

Family Date?! 0.3

I looked at myself in the mirror, touching my cheeks. I had covered the blush of red with white powder but it was still visible. I sighed, looking at the door. It has been twenty minutes. Can I face Chrome now?

I gulped in a nervous lump in my throat, forcing my legs to walk. One foot after another. My hand grips on the door handle and I swung it open.

Chrome's eyes meet mine as he stood straight from leaning on the wall across me. "Took you long enough. What were you doing in there?"

"Uh," I said, "Just girl time. You know retouch and all."

"You do make up? I haven't noticed," he reaches out to touch my cheeks and I let him, the burning spots on my face making me quiver, "But you've put on a massive amount of powder."

"Yes, I did."

"Well, that didn't work. I could still see the blush you had since half an hour ago."

My eyes widen as he chuckles, putting his attention back to Orly who was running towards him carrying a melting ice cream.

I dab my face with my handkerchief, the sweat perspiring out of my face. Powder was ineffective.

While I'm busy fussing over my still-red cheeks, Chrome and Orly had started to tour around the cages.

I ran to catch up to them.

"You're so slow." He says to me, carrying Orly to let her touch the squirrels inside the cage. Orly laughs, "Such cute animal."

I smiled at her, taking her in my arms. I turned to Chrome, "I'll handle her. She's my responsibility."

"Fine," he replies, turning back to the squirrels.

We passed couples and families, each drowned in their own world of excitement and happiness. It made seeing the animals something special. They had a bond.

Chrome and I hadn't.

I looked across me, and he was staring off into space, sometimes glancing at us only to check on Orly.

Somehow, I envied them.

They were so lucky to have someone to share something such as simple as this and make it so special.

After an hour of seeing the animals, I was dead tired. My arm was sore and numb from carrying Orly and my feet were struggling to stand. Chrome walks beside us two, looking here and there at various places. It was high noon already and my stomach grumbles because it wants to eat.

I turned my head at a certain direction and saw a chinese food stall amidst several booths set up.

Chinese food. My stomach grumbles. I sigh, looking at Chrome who was looking in the other direction where the tigers were. Looking at him was hopeless and hoping that he would let me eat was hopeless.

My stomach grumbles another moan. Chrome looks at me. Then he nods. Orly cheers and he walks off to the Chinese stall. "Just sit under the shade of that tree. I'll buy us food."

I walked to the tree and sat myself down along with Orly who sprawled on my lap.

Forty-minutes passed. Chrome hasn't left the food booths. I wondered what took him so long.

Maybe he's left us for good.

I thought of the trauma I had when he left me at the base of the mountain. Was this another of his pranks? Instead of a clown, it's the tigers and the lions isn't it?

But he emerges from the booths, carrying plastic containers.

My stomach smiled, relieved that she could finally eat. He walks over to us, holding out a plastic container. My hand reaches out to take it.