“You know we’ve never actually crossed a road? Like a road-road?” Justin stands with Joy in front of the Royal Ontario Museum on Toronto Planet. All we have to do now is cross the road.
When Justin arrived, he woke Joy up, and was on board for the idea of going to see a museum.
“Look left, right, left, right,” Justin explains to her. Suzy and I stand behind them patiently. Master Mind stands to the side.
“Good,” he tells her after she does what she was told. “If there are no cars, we can cross.”
Joy is about to jump, and he stops her. “Hold it. For the first few times I need to hold your hand so I can protect you.”
He offers his hand. She grabs it, surrounding his fingers with hers. He laughs and raises his hand.
“No, no, the other way around. I hold your hand.”
She grabs his hand again the same way.
He laughs again. “Joy,” he takes his hand back. “The way you’re holding my hand, I can’t protect you if a car speeds by too fast. I need to be able to move you. I need to already be holding you. You give me your hand first.”
She offers her hand. He takes it, so that his fingers surround hers.
Her fingers automatically slip out of his hold and she is now holding his hand.
Justin laughs even louder. “Wow. It’s like you can’t even imagine needing someone’s help. Joy, I can’t move you out of the way if you’re the one holding me! Make a fist.”
She makes a fist. He grabs the fist. “Now we can go.”
But her hand automatically releases itself and she holds his hand again.
Justin laughs and laughs. She stands there, embarrassed.
“You are so awesome, Joy!” he tells her and she relaxes. “Okay, let’s do it like this.” He bends down and picks her up with one hand around her stomach. “Let’s cross the road!”
“Dad!”
And Justin and Joy cross the road with Joy in her father’s hands.
Their relationship is like… Well, like, nothing I’ve ever seen.
—Told by Grampa Walt