The two kids stared at Ghastly, exchanged glances, and then went back to staring at Ghastly, the boy with an open mouth and the girl with wide eyes.
"Yep," Dad said with a grin, opening His arms and turning so Allie could see the choices in His grip. "No need for the sheriff. May be outlaws, l'il lady, but we're the Robin Hoods. Go on." And here His voice turned kindly, softer, gentle. He smiled at Allie. "Pick one. All yours."
Allie squealed and reached out to snag a teddy-bear half the size she was, with soft dangly arms and long light-brown fur. She buried her face in it, half-tilted to beam up at Dad. "Thank you, Grandad," she said softly and shyly, but her face was radiant.
"You're welcome, Missy," Dad said gruffly, and His ever-shifting grey eyes twinkled.
The two children playing Hook A Fish exchanged one more look before slow grins spread over their faces. "Can I have the black one?" the boy asked shyly.
"Can I have the blue one?" the girl asked eagerly.
And just like that the ward was filled with young excited voices. With a deep, rolling laugh of delight that no one could fail to respond to, Dad moved around the ward, freely giving out teddy-bears. There were no fights, no arguments--each child latched onto just one, just that single one with the special touch that appealed most to them.
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"Yep," Dad said with a grin, opening His arms and turning so Allie could see the choices in His grip. "No need for the sheriff. May be outlaws, l'il lady, but we're the Robin Hoods. Go on." And here His voice turned kindly, softer, gentle. He smiled at Allie. "Pick one. All yours."
Allie squealed and reached out to snag a teddy-bear half the size she was, with soft dangly arms and long light-brown fur. She buried her face in it, half-tilted to beam up at Dad. "Thank you, Grandad," she said softly and shyly, but her face was radiant.
"You're welcome, Missy," Dad said gruffly, and His ever-shifting grey eyes twinkled.
The two children playing Hook A Fish exchanged one more look before slow grins spread over their faces. "Can I have the black one?" the boy asked shyly.
"Can I have the blue one?" the girl asked eagerly.
And just like that the ward was filled with young excited voices. With a deep, rolling laugh of delight that no one could fail to respond to, Dad moved around the ward, freely giving out teddy-bears. There were no fights, no arguments--each child latched onto just one, just that single one with the special touch that appealed most to them.