How Sweet It Is

32

"What do we want to see first?" Derek asked, as Meredith pushed Stella in her stroller and Derek held Adam's hand as they walked into the zoo. Aside from talking to the kids, they had barely spoke a word in the car on the way to the zoom, making things more awkward and uncomfortable.

"Zoo." Stella giggled.

"We're at the zoo."

"What about you Adam?" Meredith asked, flipping through her cell phone as she pushed the stroller.

"Can we go to the reptile house?" He asked, looking up at Meredith.

"Yeah...sure."

"I didn't know you liked snakes, bud." Derek laughed, as they started to walk in the direction of the reptiles.

"They're so cool!"

"He's four." Meredith replied.

"I know..." Derek answered, before kneeling down in front of Stella. "Where do you wanna go?"

"Monkeys." Stella giggled.

"Okay. Reptiles...then monkeys." Derek smiled, kissing his niece on the cheek before standing back up.

"Can we get ice cream, Uncle Derek?" Adam asked.

"Do you want fruit snacks?" Meredith asked, looking up from her cell phone.

"I want ice cream." Adam frowned.

"Later buddy." Derek answered. "We just ate lunch."

"I have crackers and pretzels." Meredith added.

"I don't want that."

"What about gummy bears?" Meredith asked.

"Can I have gummy bears on my ice cream?"

"Ice cream later..." Derek interrupted.

"Derek let's just get ice cream now." Meredith groaned, bending over to wipe Stella's cheek off.

"They just ate lunch."

"And we just got to the zoo..." Meredith added. "What flavor do you want Adam?"

"Strawberry!" The little boy yelled.

"Wow...strawberry is my favorite."Meredith replied. "Did you know there are strawberry flavored gummy bears?"

"Can we put those on the ice cream?"

"Yeah...but we can't go into the reptile house with the ice cream." Meredith sighed. "Do you want it now or after the reptile house?"

"After." Adam sighed dramatically like he was making a hard decision.

"Fishies!" Stella shouted.

"We have to go to the aquarium to see fishies, Stel." Derek laughed, picking her up out of the stroller.

"Fishies!" Stella giggled.

"Lets go." Meredith sighed.

"What's your favorite reptile?" Derek asked Adam, as they walked toward to the reptile house, glancing at Meredith every couple of seconds.

"Boa constrictor." Adam replied.

"Boa strictor!" Stella gasped.

"Very good Stella." Meredith giggled.

"I don't think you're going to like them." Derek laughed.

"Monkeys!"

"Are you a monkey?"