#Chapter 114: Powdered Sugar & Sweet Accidents

Ella The carousel slowed to a gentle stop, its enchanting melody fading away into the night air, replaced by the laughter and chatter of families and couples around us. I stepped off the platform, feeling like I had just traveled back in time to a simpler era of my life—one that I often yearned for, even now as an adult. Logan, his face glowing in the wash of colorful lights from the ride, looked like a man who had just conquered a personal demon, albeit one dressed up in the innocent colors and nostalgic sounds of a carnival game. “Well?” I asked, my eyes searching his for a trace of the boy who never got to ride a carousel. “How did you enjoy your first carousel ride, Mr. Barrett?” His grin was my answer, wide and genuine, a snapshot of pure joy that I wished I could freeze in time. “I know it’s silly, but thank you for doing that with me,” he quipped, his voice tinged with an emotion I couldn’t quite place—perhaps nostalgia, or maybe relief. I shrugged,