“Eivät! Antti, eivät.”

The brunette managed to distract her chubby toddler by offering him her iphone. [i]The email will have to wait for now.[/i] The little boy pressed the colorful apps on the screen at random, and soon, a chirpy little tune began playing. Antti squealed happily as he tried popping the moving bubbles on the screen. Neve laughed. Even at the age of three her son was already more proficient at the iphone than his dad. She blew on the bit of takoyaki spiked on the toothpick before offering it to her son. Antti turned his head away. He was too engrossed with the game to bother about food. 

Minkka reached over for another of the ball-shaped snack. She took small hesitant bites while waiting for the inside to cool. She puffed rapidly to prevent as the hot dough touched her tongue. When she couldn't bear it any longer, she spat the whole piece out. She reached for her water bottle and took a huge swig. The cool liquid helped to alleviate the stinging sensation, but her tongue was still rather sore. Mina turned her attention back to her younger brother. She giggled as fruits and vegetables began flying across the screen. Antti found the fruit ninja app! That had to be her favorite game in mommy's phone! 

The eight year held her fingers out like an imaginary camera. She pretended to take several shots of veli. Mummo would love these photos if they were real! Her grandma always said she was as skilled as her Paavi. After she was satisfied that she had enough shots of her younger brother, Minkka focused her make believe camera to the five goldfish swimming round in the three plastic bags suspended from her mother’s arm. She took six photos before she began poking the nearest bag with her little finger. The tiny gold fish pressed back against the surface. 

“Are you full, Minkka?” 

Minkka quickly nodded her head although she was still very hungry. She didn't want to burn her tongue again. She looked around for something else to buy. Her small brown eyes picked out the cotton candy stall. She pointed to the stall excitedly while she pulled her mother's sleeve repeatedly. “Karkkia!”

Neve gently released her daughter's hand from her sleeve after looking at the stall in question. Too much sugar was a bad idea, especially when it was way past the children's bedtime. Instead of objecting, the mother decided to offer her daughter a more tempting alternative. She searched the other stalls for a brief moment, and then pointed to the man selling balloons. She noticed her daughter clapped her tiny hands in delight. Neve patted Mina's shoulder gently, and the little girl calmed down. Neve pointed to each of the stalls slowly. “Mina – do you [i]really[/i] want Karkkia or a pretty balloon?” 

The young girl turned to look at the colorful balloons sold at the stall opposite the cotton candy stall. She looked at the old man giving a young couple a huge, blue puff and then she looked at the balloon sculptures once more. Her head darted back and forth between both stalls several times. “Pally!” 

The lady tilted her head towards her backpack. Mina nodded and opened the side pocket. The child fished out a twenty yen note. Happily she waved it in front of her mother. Neve nodded. “Buy one for Antti too.” 

“Okay!”

Mina barely avoided several couples and an old lady using a walking stick in her haste to reach the balloon man quickly. Her brown little pigtails whipped wildly as she ran. A familiar voice made her falter a little. [i]It sounded like Daddy![/i] Mina looked up and beamed. She recognized the blue kendo shirt immediately. The girl spun to the right and sped towards the huge, shaggy haired giant. Minkka clutched J-P's leg happily. The top of her head barely reached her father’s upper thigh. 

“Isi!” 

The little rascal refused to let go even when her father tried coaxing her. She simply laughed as her daddy tried to tickle her. Mina only relented after J-P promised his daughter a piggyback ride. She squealed with delight as she found herself hoisted up above the crowd. Her eyes shone happily. Everyone was shorter than her Daddy!

"Let's go back to Mommy!"

Neve studied the man approaching them. She noted that he was really tall for someone of an Asian heritage, or so she assumed. Somehow he looked oddly familiar as well. She can’t quite put her finger on it at the moment. She juggled her son to stop him from squirming around so much. Slowly the mother got up with the tot in arms, the goldfish dangling precariously from her right arm while the empty takoyaki box was clasped by just three fingers. 

[quote=Ken Ikeda]“I’m Ken. Your husband has made me his translator.”[/quote]

“Nice to meet you, I’m Nevaeh, your average cowgirl from Texas. Anyone who helps to lighten my husband’s load is certainly a friend of mine,” the American woman responded cheerfully. She felt someone relief her of the box. Using the opportunity to adjust Antti, Neve then stretched out her right hand and grasped Ken’s. “Ken, is it? You look awfully familiar. I keep thinking you are a wrestler or something.”