The early morning air was cool as you parked the car at Disneyland, the sight of the towering castle in the distance bringing a smile to your face. Today was special—not because of the park itself, but because of who you were with. Madison, your younger sister, sat in the passenger seat practically buzzing with excitement, her Mickey ears already on.

“You ready for this?” you asked, grabbing your backpack from the backseat.

She turned to you with the biggest grin. “Are you kidding? I’ve been ready since I was BORN.”

You laughed, closing the car door. “Alright, let’s make up for lost time.”

Ever since you left for college, the two of you hadn’t had much time together. Between classes, work, and her school schedule, the days just flew by. But now, on your day off, you were determined to make this count.

The second you walked through the gates, Madison grabbed your arm and pulled you toward Main Street. “We HAVE to get a churro first,” she said like it was an emergency.

“Food before rides? Classic Madison,” you teased, but you followed her to the cart anyway. Watching her take that first bite, her face lighting up, made you laugh. “You’re such a kid.”

She smirked with powdered sugar on her lip. “And you love it.”

Your first stop was Space Mountain, where Madison insisted on sitting in the front row. “If we’re doing this, we’re doing it RIGHT,” she said, dragging you along. You screamed your lungs out together, and when the ride was over, she was laughing so hard she could barely walk.

“Okay,” she said, wiping her eyes, “that was the BEST thing ever.”

The rest of the day was a blur of fun—posing for pictures in front of the castle, riding Big Thunder Mountain, eating Dole Whip in Adventureland. You even let her drag you into the gift shop so she could pick out matching Disney hoodies.

As the sun set and the fireworks began, Madison stood next to you, eyes glued to the sky, colors exploding over the castle. For a moment, everything felt perfect—the noise of the crowd faded, and it was just you and your little sister, making a memory you both desperately needed.

She looked up at you with a smile. “Thanks for today. I really missed this.”