"You look a lot happier here," Emmie's sister had told her yesterday when they were sitting in a small café together, drinking tea and just taking time with each other. And it was true, she did feel happier here. As Emmie drove along the dusty road towards the carnival she had promised to bring her young nieces to, Emmie couldn't help but take stock in the fact that she was not only a lot happier here in Tulsa than she had ever been in New York City, but that she also felt grounded, more at peace, and she began harboring a sense of hope about her future. In contrast, every day in the city had been a blur to her, and certainly not in a good way.

 

Emmie glanced in the rearview mirror at her nieces in the backseat, watching their bodies wiggle with excitement as they waited to get in. The line of cars was surprisingly long, but it was the weekend, so she should have expected it to be busy. She had agreed to bring her two nieces out today while her sister went to visit a coworker in the hospital, but she was more than happy to do so for it gave her a reason to let her hair down and have some fun. It had been so long since she could just be herself, she admittedly felt like a kid herself today. Before her recent divorce, Emmie's husband always managed to stifle her joy, constantly reminding her to act prim and proper no matter where they went. Every day, Emmie felt her spirit being slowly drained from her, until that day when she couldn't bring herself to walk through the door of their posh New York apartment. The day she left her husband and filed for divorce, was the emancipation of Emmie, and she vowed to rekindle the zest for life that she once had.

"Aunt Emmie, I want a corn dog!" That was the younger of them, at ten years old. Emmie's sister had given her money to make up for the fact that she wasn't going with them even though Emmie had said she didn't need it. She was more than willing to pay for her nieces to eat whatever they wanted, and of course play a few games. Teresa had insisted, though, and Emmie hadn't been willing to fight about it. It was so silly to fight about who had more disposable income. The sound of carnival patrons and music from the rides was already clearly audible as they sat there in the car, waiting to be directed into a parking spot. Her nieces were literally bouncing in their seats by now, and Emmie quietly locked the doors, just to make sure they didn't just bound out and make a run for it before she could park the car.

 

Once they finally parked and made their way into the front entrance to purchase their tickets and ride bracelets, it seemed to be no-holds barred. Her two nieces were running far ahead of her, and Emmie had to quicken her pace just to make sure they remained in her sight. The older one was only thirteen, after all, and she'd feel pretty bad if she let them disappear and they ended up getting hurt. Emmie sighed happily as the trio snaked their way through the carnival, taking in all the sights while at the same time making sure she could always see her nieces. Taking notice to all the laughing, happy couples and families around her, Emmie again mused about her future. Tulsa really was the kind of place she wished she could stay in. Everyone here was friendly and happy, and they even smiled at her as she passed them, despite not knowing her. There was nothing wrong with being friendly, right? If she walked down the streets of New York City like this, she wouldn't get a single bit of acknowledgement, and she might even get a glare if she tried to smile or talk to someone she didn't know. Yes, she really was going to put some serious thought into the possibility of moving to Tulsa. After all, she did already have family here.

 

"Aunt Emmie!" the younger one called out. She had stopped in front of one of the games, and Emmie had a feeling she knew what was coming next. Her niece obviously wanted to play, and even though carnival games were notorious for being a bit of a long-shot to win, they were always a part of the whole carnival experience. Of course carnivals needed to make money, and they couldn't make money if the games were easy or they gave out prizes for a small victory. There was nothing wrong with that, she supposed, as she brought out her purse and took out a few bills so that they could all play. The carnie was giving her nieces they shtick that she had expected, about how they could win a bunch of really cool prizes if they just hit the target five times. It was an air rifle game, and it made her a little uncomfortable when she thought about it, but she supposed that guns were a lot more common here, and the kids certainly had no problem with it.