The next woman in line stooped down to talk to her little boy clutching her hand tightly. “Wait over by the sinks for Mommy. And for Heaven’s sakes, try to stay out of trouble this time.”
He nodded his head solemnly in agreement, the wide brim of his straw “little Lord Fauntleroy” hat accenting the gesture. He wandered grumpily over to the sinks, checking out the eye-level countertops for any unguarded candy or toys.
What was this? A crumpled tiger-striped thing lay in pile of water-logged fingertip-sized chunks of ripped paper toweling in the far corner of the countertop. He stretched a grubby hand over the counter and squealed with delight as he clutched its rubbery squishiness. A balloon!
Carefully, he turned back to check if Mommy was out yet. The coast was clear.
Standing on tip-toes, he managed to work the balloon over the end of the sink faucet and turn the water on. The balloon slowly filled, stretching out into a funny-faced tiger. He peeled it loose and tied it closed when it was about 6 inches long. The water balloon gurgled and sloshed as he passed it absentmindedly from hand to hand, looking around the restroom for the best target.