While Jess is able to sneak out of the church without being spotted, she doesn’t think about how a toddler walking down the street unaccompanied would attract attention, wearing a flower girl dress or not. She only gets a block away from the church when someone lifts her into the air. Jess squirms, trying to break free.
“Now, what’s a little girl like you doing wandering around without an adult?” asks the person holding her. Jess cranes her neck to see who’s kidnapped her. It’s her cousin, Carla, still wearing her bridesmaid dress from Jack’s wedding. “Did you sneak out of the reception like a little sneaky snake?”
Jess would prefer to go home, but if she goes to the reception of her brother’s wedding, she might be able to convince someone of who she is. And even if she can’t, she might be able to sneak away again. If Carla calls the cops or child services, the chances of Jess escaping are slim to none. She nods.
“What an adorable little ninja,” Carla coos. She walks across the street to the building the reception is being held in. They enter. Another cousin comes up to Carla.
“Who’s this?” the cousin asks.
“I went out for a smoke break and saw this little darling, trying to leave the party without her parents,” Carla says. They both chuckle.
“Well, I can take her over to the other toddlers and let the people supervising know she’s a bit of a flight risk,” the cousin says, holding out her arms. Carla hands Jess over. The cousin carries Jess over to a side room, the doorway of which has been blocked off with a baby gate. “Mom.” Jess’s Aunt Lucy appears in the doorway. “This little girl almost got away.”
“What a silly,” Aunt Lucy coos, taking Jess from her cousin. “We’ll keep a close eye on her.” As the cousin walks away, Aunt Lucy sets Jess on the ground.
This actually worked out pretty well, in Jess’s opinion. Aunt Lucy knows what she looked like as a toddler, so she should be able to be convinced. Of course, she could always try to escape again, but it seems like she’ll be watched like a hawk, making slipping away difficult.