"I'm hungry," Leah says. Rita perks up.
"You're in luck! I know the best places to get food and drinks here!" Rita immediately begins to lead Leah to what seems like the other side of the park. Already moving slow due to her diaper, Leah gets tired faster as well. The waddling is more tiring than regular walking. Before long, Rita just picks Leah up and begins carrying her.
Leah feels like everyone is watching her. A teenager dressed like a toddler, being carried by her aunt. Without thinking about it, her thumb slowly makes its way to her mouth. She sucks on it, for both comfort and to improve her disguise. When they finally arrive at Rita's favorite food stand, Leah keeps her thumb in her mouth and merely points at what she wants. If Rita is surprised Leah opted for foods labeled as suitable for toddlers, she doesn't let on.
They retreat to a table to wait for their food. A well-meaning stranger brings over a high chair for Leah. Rita thanks them and places Leah in the high chair. Still sucking on her thumb, Leah doesn't protest.
Rita grabs their food when it's ready and the two begin to eat. Leah makes noises of enjoyment as she happily nibbles on her finger food and drinks from her sippy cup. Rita was right, this really is good!
When they finish, Leah is covered in crumbs. She's not sure how it happened. A kind mother sitting nearby offers Rita some wipes.
"They're so messy at that age," she says. Rita laughs.
"Don't I know it!" Rita starts wiping off Leah's face. "I'm going to check your diaper," she whispers when she's done. "Why don't you think about what you want to do next?" Leah, already sucking on her thumb again, nods happily. Her mood is drastically improved just after eating something.