Jake and Gaby were hand-in-hand at the fair, bright lights spinning overhead and the scent of buttery popcorn and sweet cotton candy floating through the air. It was one of those perfect summer nights — warm enough to wear a t-shirt, loud enough to get lost in laughter, and chaotic in all the best ways.

They walked past a booth stacked high with stuffed animals — the biggest teddy bear right in the center, practically begging to be won. Gaby stopped, eyes lighting up as she looked at Jake.

“Okay,” she said, grinning, “Win me that bear.”

Jake puffed out his chest. “Easy.”

He handed the carnie a five and grabbed the first baseball. It was one of those knock-the-bottles-over games. He took a deep breath, narrowed his eyes, and launched it.

Clank.

The ball bounced off the bottles and landed pathetically on the ground.

Gaby tried not to laugh. “It’s okay, babe. First one’s a warm-up.”

Jake scowled in mock focus. “I got this.”

Second ball. Clank.

Gaby giggled. “Okay but like…you actually missed worse that time.”

Jake turned slowly. “You’re not helping.”

Third try.

Clank.

This time Gaby fully laughed, nearly doubling over. “BABE—are you trying to miss?!”

“Do they glue these bottles down?!”

The carnie just shrugged like he’d heard that a thousand times before.

Jake turned to Gaby, rubbing the back of his neck, “Okay… maybe this isn’t my game.”

Gaby leaned over, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. “It’s okay, you’re still my champion.”

He sighed dramatically. “You sure you don’t want to just date the guy who actually can win the teddy bear?”

She smirked, “Nope. I want you. Even if your aim sucks.”