124 The Explosive Childcandy. Can you think of something else you’d like to
eat on the way home besides cotton candy?”
“I want cotton candy,” whined Casey, but his tone
suggested that rational thought might slowly be re-
turning.
“Well, I’m not saying you can’t have cotton candy,
but I don’t want to go back into the park. We could
look for someone selling cotton candy on the way
home,” said the father. “Would that work for you?”
Casey started walking toward the car again.
“Can I have cotton candy, too?” asked Casey’s sister.
The mother bit her lip. “Whatever we get, you can
have some, too,” she said.
Once in the car, the family spent the next ten min-
utes with their faces glued to the windows, scanning
the horizon for potential cotton candy vendors. Casey’s
capacity for rational thought slowly returned. There
was one small problem, of course: They hadn’t yet
come upon any stores that might be selling cotton
candy. With Casey’s capacity for rational thought
somewhat restored, the father felt Casey might be able
to handle the bad news without falling apart.
“I don’t see anyone selling cotton candy, guys,” he
said. “But there’s a McDonald’s up ahead—should we
see what kinds of snacks we can find there? Maybe
some French fries?”
“Oh, boy, McDonald’s!” exclaimed Casey.