Distant Laughter

Clara nodded, letting the matter drop. She walked over to Ruby, bent down, and hugged her close, smiling as she asked, "Have you thought about where you want to go and play?"

Ruby flashed her a huge, sweet smile, her voice soft and sugary. "Ms. Pretty, I want to ride the carousel!"

"Alright," Clara replied with a grin. "We'll take our little Ruby to ride the carousel in a bit. How does that sound?