Aaron forgave Keeley for messing with him almost immediately so she had mercy and showed him how to win at a few other carnival games. One of the vendors had to give them a plastic bag because they had collected so many stuffed animals.
"I think Violet and Kaleb will enjoy these once they're a little bit older," she said as she eyed the pile of bears, monkeys, cats, and even a duck that had made it into the bag.
"Did you like them when you were younger?" Aaron asked.
"Oh yeah, I used to have so many stuffed animals on my bed I hardly had room to sleep. My mom used to sneakily steal away the ones I didn't play with as often and donate them because they were taking up too much space."
One time her mother made the mistake of taking one that Keeley noticed was missing. She cried for days because she wanted her stuffed lion back. After that her mother slowed down on the animal snatching.
Keeley grew out of her stuffed animal obsession eventually anyway. She had kept a few in a box in her old room for sentimental purposes but that was it. One was really old and gross because she'd had it since she was an infant but there were a few she got when she was older that were still in surprisingly good condition.
She was about to ask if Aaron had any stuffed animals he was attached to as a little kid before realizing she already knew the answer to that question. Of course he hadn't. His parents never would have allowed their son to have a comfort item like a normal child.
No wonder he had asked if she liked them. He didn't know what kids liked because he hadn't been given the chance to be one himself.
Feeling a surge of anger at her terrible in-laws, she hugged him tightly before they continued on. He didn't even seem fazed. Probably because he hugged her all the time without an obvious reason either.
Keeley made him go on the Cyclone with her since it was probably the most famous ride there. The ancient wooden rollercoaster was so shaky you felt like your brain was about to rattle out of your skull but it was part of the thrill. They both stumbled around a bit afterwards and Aaron needed to find a place to sit down.
"That was terrible," he said bluntly.
She chuckled at his honesty. "Most rollercoasters aren't that bad. The metal ones are a much smoother ride but this one has history so it's still popular. It's considered an historic landmark, you know."
"They have metal ones?"
"Yeah, there's at least one here. I think it's at Luna Park."
Coney Island wasn't all one attraction. It was a neighborhood in Brooklyn with multiple amusement parks, independent rides and carnival games, and a beach, among other things. Luna Park was one of the amusement parks in the area.
Keeley had been on the big rollercoaster at Luna Park before and was willing to bet Aaron would actually scream during the big drop. They took a picture right as you started to fall, too. She definitely wanted to see that!
She took his hand and dragged him over to Luna Park's entrance. "We're going to ride everything here."
"Everything?" he gulped.
"Everything! Don't worry though; a lot of the rides here are kid friendly so they're pretty mild."
Aaron was noticeably distressed. No one else would have been able to see it but she knew his moods. Despite his calm on the outside, he was totally freaking out on the inside.
Keeley sighed and amended her statement. "I'm going to ride everything. You don't have to if you don't want to."
He shook his head. "I'm the one who brought us here. I may as well give these things a shot. But if I throw up you're not allowed to laugh at me."
She stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. If he threw up she probably wouldn't laugh but there was a decent chance she would tease him about it at some point later.
They went to some of the lighter rides first to give their rattled brains a break. Aaron didn't seem to mind those so much though his expression remained blank.
He really wasn't amused by this sort of thing but brought her here anyway. He definitely deserved the Husband of the Year award. Keeley could tell he was enjoying himself though just by watching her have a good time. He was so sappy.
Aaron's stoic expression didn't break on most of the rollercoasters either despite looking a little green around the gills afterwards. But Keeley had been right about the most intense drop in the park. The commemorative ride photo did not disappoint.
She honestly could not describe the face he was pulling. Hers was a much more typical screaming face.
He stared at the picture on the screen at the photobooth, completely baffled. "How is it that you manage to scream so attractively while I look like…that?"
Keeley snorted. "How can a scream be attractive?"
"Look at you! That's your normal face except your mouth happens to be in a perfect 'o' shape. I don't even look like a human being."
She examined the photo more closely. He really didn't look like a human being.
"I'm buying this."
"Why?!"
"Because I want to put it on my desk once I go back to work and be able to have a good laugh when lab equipment is giving me grief."
Aaron sighed in resignation. "I'll get you back for this at some point."
"Sure you will," she soothed him even though she kind of doubted it.
After that last ride, Keeley was pretty hungry so they grabbed a quick snack and headed back to her father's house. Both babies were sound asleep when they arrived.
"So, did you have fun?" Robert asked.
She grinned widely. "Oh yeah. Best day ever."
Aaron simply buried his face in his hands because he knew she was going to show off the ride photo. He was right. Robert apologized for laughing so hard but it didn't change the fact that they had ganged up on him.
Keeley knew he wasn't really mad at her and was secretly pleased his date idea had been a success. He lived for making her happy.
To make it up to him, she was sure to give her husband extra special attention after the babies had gone down for the night. It was the least she could do after he planned such a fun day for her. He seemed to appreciate her efforts as the embarrassment of the ride photo was forgotten.