«All the better to eat you with, Little Red Riding Hood,» Larisa recalled and she grabbed her mother’s clothes.
Unaware of what was going on in the mind of her daughter, Nina wanted to move Larisa to the actor in the Easter Bunny costume. The girl only hid her face and clung to her mother.
«Look, what a cute Bunny!» Vainly Nina tried to tear her daughter away. Larisa started sobbing, and her panicked mood spread to the other children. When the organizer tried to take another boy to the head of the line, the child screamed, and all the kids began to cry and cling to their parents.
Embarrassed, Nina saw the irritated glance from the organizer and the parents, and she thought with vexation, «I bet, they’re all thinking, „Stupid Russians only bring troubles!“ Oh God, what if they ask me to pay for the breakfast? I didn’t bring any money. Oh, what shame. How stupid.»
«Come on, Larisa.» She tried to persuade her daughter again. «Say thanks to the Bunny.»
The girl did not reply, and the woman felt despair, but suddenly she saw a police officer and a new idea came to Nina. She waved him over.
The policeman went close, and Nina was happy to see it was Jeff Menard.
«Officer Jeff!» Nina exclaimed, and he involuntarily smiled, as it sounded like «Uncle Jeff.» «Officer Jeff, we have a problem, could you help us?»
She explained, and Jeff squatted next to Larisa. «Are you afraid of the Bunny?»
The girl nodded.
«I’ll protect you, do you want me to?» Jeff asked in a very serious voice. The girl glanced at him and back to the Bunny with doubt. This monster looked very, very big.
«What ifthe policeman has no time to save me before the Rabbit swallows me?» thought the girl.
She saw a golden retriever next to an old man with a walking stick. Larisa recognized them, her thoughts changed, and she ran to the dog and petted it.
«Mom.» she addressed Nina. «Do you remember, this doggie had horns on Halloween and antlers on Christmas?»
Bill Thompson heard that and smiled, and the other children also started to pet the animal. Jeff told Thompson about the problem and asked for his assistance. Then Bill suggested to Larisa, «Goldy can be next to you for your protection.»
Hesitating, Larisa took the arm of the policeman, the retriever went beside her, and all together they neared the actor. Nina carefully seated her daughter on the lap of the Bunny. Everybody stepped back, Larisa still sat, and the cameraman took the photo quickly.
The organizer sighed with relief as the event took its normal course. Children were coming one by one to the Bunny, and everything was fine now.