Title: The Night I Got Lost—and Found Kindness at a Carnival
I didn’t mean to get lost.
I was watching the cotton candy stand’s spinning lights, entranced by the colors, when suddenly, Mom was gone. The fair buzzed with noise—music blasting, kids laughing, voices shouting over each other. Everything looked the same. My chest tightened, and I couldn’t remember where we started.
I ended up curled near the funnel cake vendor, wiping tears with my sticky sleeve, when Officer David found me. He didn’t ask a million questions. Just sat beside me and gently said, “Hey, buddy. You okay?”
He held my hand like it was the most normal thing in the world—even though mine was sweaty and covered in half-melted candy. I think I cried myself to sleep on his arm. When his radio crackled, he softly shook my shoulder. I looked up, and he smiled.
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