For @rowena1873
*****
Lee pulled into one of the few parking spots, checking the rearview mirror to look at Elle, your four year old daughter. She was playing with her stuffed toy, waiting patiently to get unbuckled and go visit the zoo. She looked up at Lee and grinned. "Are we at the zoo, Daddy?"
He smiled. "Yes we are. Are you ready to go?"
You watched the two interact, laughing at how animated Lee was when talking to Elle.
You got out, going to get the bag in the boot whilst Lee got Elle out. You checked the bag to make sure everything was there before you began your trip into the zoo.
Water? Check. Snacks? Check. Band aids? Check. Hat? Check. You were set.
Elle wrapped her arms around your legs, pressing her face on you. "Mummy?" she asked.
You handed the bag to Lee and picked her up. "Yeah?"
"Are we going to see the lion?"
You smiled. "Of course."
"And the monkeys?"
"Uh-huh."
"What about the zebra!"
"Those too."
The car beeped and you set off for your long day at the zoo.
*****
By lunch time you'd visited most of the basic animals they advertised at a zoo. You'd fed the giraffe, seen a lion and a tiger and a couple seals which got water on you... Elle and Lee were both goofing off whilst looking at the other animals, leaving you to walk around slowly and take photos after they became impatient.
"Mum! Come on!" Lee called. It was like taking care of two children. You chuckled to yourself before abandoning a perfectly good opportunity to take a photo of some very pretty birds, to go and run mad with those two.
Within about a five minute stretch, you'd seen a cassowary, an emu, a wombat and a bunch of koalas that almost knocked Elle over. You were admittedly scared of the emu that was almost as tall as you and every time you saw one, you automatically drifted closer to Lee.
"Mummy! Daddy! I see a monkey!" Elle gasped. Ah. No zoo was complete without one. She ran to you and took your hand, dragging you along. Lee kept up just fine.
The monkey enclosure was rather large and island like, aside from the back wall with doubled as protection and the gateway to their home outback.
Elle was quick to jump up on the fence surrounding the water, and quick to spot the baby monkey which she told you all about.
"Be careful, sweetie," you said. The gaps between the bars weren't big enough to let her in, but she might have fallen backward.
You took out your camera to take some photos when suddenly she was tugging on your shirt.
"Hmm?" you asked, still taking the photo before looking at her.
She chewed her bottom lip. "Mummy?"
"Yes?"
"Don't be angry."
"About what?" You picked her up and smoothed her hair.
"My shoe's in the water."
You thought she was fibbing but when you looked down, there was no shoe. And when you looked to the water, there was a little shoe just floating there.
"Lee!" you called.
He came over. "Yeah?"
"Can you get her shoe? It's in the water."
He burst out laughing. "Elle! How'd you do that?!" He reached in and got the shoe before throwing it at you. "Ew! Monkey pee and poop!"
You all had a great laugh at that, but she eventually had to wear the shoe - monkey excrements or not.
*****
At the end of the day, Elle was asleep in the back of the car, whilst Lee drove back home. You leaned your head on his shoulder and sighed. "My feet hurt."
He chuckled. "My poor baby."
You rolled your eyes but giggled. He was just adorable like that.
"Where do you want to have dinner?" he asked.
You shrugged, getting off him and putting your seat back into a reclined position. "Anywhere is fine. Good night."
He laughed as you dozed off after a long and slightly problematic day at the zoo.
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:)
