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"Daddy, Daddy!"
"Yes, Theo? What is it?"
"Can we go to the park? My friend said they'd be there and I want to go play with them!"
"Okay, dear, we can go. Let me call your mother and we'll be on our way."
"Can Louisa come too?"
I sighed. Louisa was...not supposed to be a part of this. "She's a bit young, I'm not sure she would enjoy the park very much."
"She's nearly two, she can run around with me! Or I could push her on the swings! Pleeeaaasseee?"
Fine. "Yes, she can come," I agreed reluctantly. While she struggled with her shoes, I went to Theodosia to inform her of our plans and to Mary to ask if I may borrow Louisa for the afternoon. Then, we were off.
When we got to the park, Theo took off running towards the lake on the opposite side, and Theodosia set Louisa down, who stumbled after her. We walked over to where they were, speculating on who Theo's little friend might be.
"I bet it's Lucy," she put forth.
"No, I think it's John, he's the one she lent her book to the other day."
"Lending a book does not a friend make," she pointed out. "It might be little Sammy, they've always gotten along quite well."
"Hm, perhaps. I wonder if it's--" I paused. "Did you hear something? It almost sounded as if... That's it, we're taking Theo and leaving. She is not allowed to play with him."
"Oh, Aaron, I'm sure it won't be that bad. Besides, just because you two have your disagreements doesn't mean our children need to inherit that feud. Regardless, I would like to see my friend again, it has been so long." We rounded the corner and lo and behold, there he was. "Eliza! How good it is to see you! Let's take a walk around, shall we?"
"You behave now," Eliza said, turning towards her husband.
"So. Burr."
"Hamilton."
We made a couple attempts at small talk before they all fell flat, not that there was anything different about that.
"Papa!"
I winced a little, just a little. "Yes, Louisa?" That's when I noticed the tear tracks on her cheeks. "Louisa, what happened? Hamilton, I swear if your son did anything to her or Theo, I will--"
"Daddy, it's okay! She fell because we were running too fast and couldn't keep up, but Philip helped her!"
I looked at the boy for a good half-minute, watching him become more uncomfortable by the second until I was satisfied that it was the truth. "Very well. Louisa, you can stay here with me and Mr. Hamilton while they go run around some more." She peeked shyly at my neighbor, before sitting down on the ground and pulling the grass up from around her.
Hamilton and I, continuing to ignore each other, glanced over to where we saw Philip slap Theo's arm before saying, "Tag! You're it!" and leaping onto the wooden structure next to them.
Before Hamilton could make a remark about how tag was usually played with more than two people, our wives spoke up from where they had walked up behind us. "Oh, look at that! Isn't their aura so pretty?"
We turned, equal amounts of horror written on our faces, to see a royal purple spot in the air above where they had resorted to poking each other's sides, white sparkles spattered throughout.
The sigh we let out could not have been in more unison if we had tried.