The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

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 takehome," Danielle said earnestly. "She toldshe 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 cback, she was still gone." His head hung low, lips puckered in a pout of grievance.

Karen had a hunch, "Your sister's nis 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 cand pick up this little bundle of joy. Gathering everyone would take stime. Karen tapped the table and ruffled Danielle's hair. "I have met your sister. She toldshe had to rush back hfor an urgent matter and that someone would cto 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 helpgather ssnails 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 sdirt, surprised by his own strength.

Arthur peeked around, confused, "Honey, why are we digging a hole?" "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 ctonight." 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.

She dug into her belt bag and pulled out a crystal-clear little bottle. She sprinkled its pink liquid generously around them and even dabbed 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.