You’re wandering through the park on a quiet Saturday morning when you hear soft crying behind a bench. Curious, you peek over and see a small child, no more than five, looking lost and scared. Before you can react, Cassie Ainsworth strolls past, chewing gum, humming a tune, and immediately notices the situation.

“Oi, that kid looks proper lost,” she says, squatting down beside the little one. “You okay, mate?”

The child sniffles, clutching a stuffed bunny. “I can’t find my mum…”

You glance at Cassie, and she gives you a half-smile. “Well… fancy a bit of parent duty for the morning?”

You both agree—temporarily, of course—to play the role of the child’s guardians until help arrives. Cassie is surprisingly good at improvising: she takes charge of snack time with crisps and juice boxes while you try to entertain the little one with silly faces and clumsy games.

At first, it’s chaotic. The child spills juice, runs in circles, and insists on being carried by both of you simultaneously. Cassie groans dramatically, but you catch her secretly enjoying the chaos. “This is… actually kinda fun,” she admits as she wipes a smear of jam off the child’s cheek.

Hours pass in a whirlwind of laughter, storytelling, and pretend discipline. The park seems brighter, calmer, and somehow, warmer, with Cassie’s infectious energy making even the most stressful moments feel lighter.

Eventually, the child’s frantic parents arrive, hugging them tightly and apologizing profusely. You and Cassie watch from a distance, feeling oddly wistful as the little one waves goodbye.

“Think we make good parents?” Cassie asks, nudging you with her shoulder.