After breakfast, Deanna and Lance took the kids out for some fun.
The weather in April and May was neither too cold nor too hot, with a gentle breeze that felt very pleasant.
So they decided to go to the suburban park in the north of the city, which had a wide lawn perfect for flying kites.
When they arrived, the park was already filled with families flying kites and many kite enthusiasts with their unique kites.
"Wow, Mommy, look at that kite's long tail," Chloe exclaimed, pointing at a centipede kite in the sky.
Following her gaze, Deanna and Lance looked up and couldn't help but raise their eyebrows. The centipede kite was indeed very long.
Lance estimated it to be at least three meters long. He wondered how the owner managed to get such a long kite into the sky.
Just as Lance was puzzled, he felt a tug on his sleeve. Looking down, he saw his little girl gazing up at him expectantly.
"What's up?" he asked.
"Daddy, I want to fly that long kite too," Chloe said, pointing at the centipede kite in the sky.
Faced with her innocent and joyful eyes, Lance couldn't refuse and nodded in agreement.
Gregory initially wanted a long centipede kite too, but seeing his sister had chosen it, he decided to pick another one from the kite shop later.
In less than ten minutes, the family of four had bought their kites. Chloe got her three-meter-long centipede kite and excitedly hugged a section of it while following Lance closely.
Gregory chose a blue swallow-shaped kite instead. He reasoned that if he also picked a large and long kite, their family might not be able to leave the kite-flying spot. After all, just his sister's kite required both their parents to handle it.
Being a considerate child, he didn't want to trouble his parents.
Deanna and Lance didn't notice Gregory's thoughtful gesture; they were busy examining their kites.
"This is my first time flying such a long kite. I wonder if we can get it up," Deanna said to Lance with a smile.
Lance looked back at her with gentle eyes and said softly, "We have each other. Let's figure it out together."
"I want to help too," Chloe said, raising her hand eagerly.
The family moved to the lawn where Lance began figuring out how to fly the centipede kite. Gregory also prepared to fly his smaller kite.
"Do you need Mommy to hold your kite?" Deanna asked Gregory as she watched him.
"Aren't you helping my sister with her kite?" Gregory replied, glancing at his sister who was chatting with their dad.
Seeing how considerate he was, Deanna affectionately ruffled his hair. "It's not time to fly yet. So, do you want Mommy's help or not?"
"Yes," Gregory answered firmly this time.
Deanna's smile grew even softer at his response.
Meanwhile, Chloe noticed that Gregory's kite was already flying while hers was still in their dad's hands. She couldn't help but urge Lance.
"Daddy, when can we fly our kite? Look, Gregory's is already up," she said anxiously, bouncing around Lance.
Seeing her impatience, Lance couldn't help but laugh. "You hold the tail for me, and I'll see if we can get it up."
With that, Lance started organizing the kite string in preparation for flying it. Just then, Deanna returned.
"All set?" she asked with a smile as she saw Lance's actions.
"Yes, let's see if we can get it up," Lance nodded and asked Deanna to stand aside and watch.
He then started running on the lawn with Chloe. However, despite their efforts, the kite didn't take off.
Chloe felt a bit dejected. "Why can't it fly?"
Lance pondered the same question. He felt that both his speed and the wind were adequate.
Seeing both of them frowning in thought, Deanna couldn't help but laugh. She suggested, "Why don't we ask someone with experience?"
Lance thought for a few seconds and didn't refuse. "I'll go ask that gentleman over there."
"I'll go too," Chloe said eagerly.
Deanna was about to join them when Shannon approached with a phone in hand.
"Missus, it's Miss Julia on the phone," Shannon said respectfully.
Deanna nodded and took the phone. "Julia, what's up?"
"I heard you guys are on vacation. I wanted to come over and hang out but Grandma told me you and Mr. Mercer took Gregory and Chloe out," Julia's cheerful voice came through the phone.
Deanna smiled. "Yes, we finally have some free time and wanted to spend it with the kids. Do you want to join us? We're at the suburban park."
Without hesitation, Julia declined.