The Million-Dollar Heart

Karen thought for sure that Danielle would use his kid card to get what he wanted.
Danielle remained silent for a moment, lips pursed, fingers nervously twisting the fabric of his shirt. "Then, I want one thing," he
finally said.
A smile spread across Karen's face, finding his serious demeanor adorable. She pinched his cheek, waiting for him to continue.
"I want you to find my sister and have her take me home," Danielle said earnestly.
"She told me she was just going to the restroom and would be right back. But after waiting for a while, she didn't return. So, I
went to wait by the restroom, and when I came back, she was still gone."
His head hung low, lips puckered in a pout of grievance.
Karen had a hunch, "Your sister's name is Alyssa?"
Danielle nodded, eyes twinkling, "Have you seen her?"
Karen fell silent. She couldn't very well tell him that she had kicked Alyssa out. It was astonishing that Alyssa could leave and
forget about her brother like that!
With a sense of resignation, Karen knew she had to call the Wright family again to come and pick up this little bundle of joy.
Gathering everyone would take some time. Karen tapped the table and ruffled Danielle's hair. "I have met your sister. She told
me she had to rush back home for an urgent matter and that someone would come to pick you up in the evening. How about I
fulfill your second wish in the meantime?"
A shadow of disappointment crossed Danielle's eyes, but at the mention of a second wish, he perked up a bit, "I want to go see
fireflies."
Karen fell silent again, gently running her fingers through Danielle's hair before finally saying, "Alright, I'll take you to see the
fireflies!" Danielle's eyes sparkled with excitement, his cheeks flushed with joy as he fearlessly grabbed Karen's hand, eyes
glued on her.
Karen's heart melted at his cuteness, and she led the way outside.

Arthur, watching Karen lead Danielle away, felt a warmth in his heart, thinking that maybe adding a little brother to the family
wasn't such a bad idea after all.
The other guests, curious, followed Karen, eager to see how she would make the fireflies appear.
Karen looked around the Linklater property, heading towards areas with dense shrubbery and bushes. She turned to Arthur,
"Can you help me gather some snails and earthworms from around the bushes?" Arthur's eyes crinkled with laughter, "Consider
it done, my dear!"
Karen, holding Danielle's hand, wandered around, looking for untrimmed tall grass and lower ground areas.
She found a watering can at the Linklater's and turned the nozzle to a higher setting.
Karen then fetched a shovel from the tool shed, towering over the little Danielle holding her hand.
Danielle, curious, reached out to touch the tall tool, "Auntie, what's this big thing for?"
"A shovel, and from now on, it's your special tool," Karen said, positioning the shovel in front of Danielle.
Danielle, not even half the height of the shovel, looked up at it, lips tightly pressed together, his chubby hand gripping it.
"Oh dear... that's not how you use it, little buddy. You look like a koala trying to climb it," Karen laughed, demonstrating how to
properly use the shovel.
Danielle mimicked Karen's movements, struggling to lift the shovel, huffing and puffing with effort.
Seeing his struggle, Karen secretly helped from behind. Danielle, with a push, managed to shovel some dirt, surprised by his
own strength.
Arthur peeked around, confused, "Honey, why are we digging a hole?"
"This little guy doesn't have much muscle. You dig. Whether we see fireflies tonight depends on this hole. Oh, and did you find
the earthworms and snails I asked for?" Karen asked, smiling at Arthur.
"Of course," Arthur showed a bag full of soil, worms wriggling inside. "I got bitten by bugs hunting for these, I deserve a reward!"
Karen blushed, quickly pecking his cheek, "Get to work!"

Arthur, energized by love, hoisted Danielle onto his shoulders, "Hang tight, kiddo. If you fall, it'll be more thrilling than a roller
coaster!" Danielle, only five, wondered, "What's a roller coaster?"
Mr. Wolf sure had a funny way of thinking.
The guests chuckled, "He's love-struck!"
As Danielle sat on Arthur's shoulders, watching him dig, his vision blurred with sleep.
Waking up to Karen's gentle face, he murmured, "Auntie~"
Karen, pinching his soft cheek, teased, "If you don't wake up now, the fireflies won't come tonight."
Hearing about fireflies sparked something in him, energizing him as he caught sight of a large dirt pit.
Karen, holding his hand, led him through the tall green grass to the pit where Arthur, now wearing a white tank top, was wiping
the sweat from his forehead with a white towel.
Karen squatted down, turned on the sprinkler, and filled the pit with clear water. She then placed worms and snails on the mud
beside the pit, setting up a feast for the fireflies.
She dug into her belt bag and pulled out a crystal-clear little bottle. She sprinkled its pink liquid generously around them and
even dabbled a tiny drop on Danielle's hair.
A few fireflies appeared, darting up and down, and then more and more began to hover over the pit in a gentle, floating dance.
Soon, countless fireflies gathered like a ribbon of the Milky Way, forming a green canopy.
Danielle stretched out his neck, his eyes shining brighter than the fireflies. He extended his soft, open palm, and the fireflies, as if
sensing his invitation, landed gently before taking off again.
The fireflies, now well-fed, began to swarm in large numbers around Danielle's head.