The whole family was finally together—a rare sight these days. Jake, 14, stood between his three sisters: Esli, 13, Dana, 15, and Dilean, 18, as they all walked through the grand entrance of the city’s biggest zoo, their parents just behind them, carrying maps and a bag full of snacks.

“Whoa,” Esli said, eyes wide with excitement as she spotted the tall giraffes stretching their necks to reach the leaves high in the trees. “I forgot how amazing this place is!”

Dana folded her arms and glanced around. “Just hoping I don’t get splashed again by those hippos. Last time, I was soaked.”

Dilean laughed. “You totally screamed when the monkeys got rowdy near you.”

“Okay, okay, no more teasing,” their mom said with a smile. “Let’s enjoy this as a family. We don’t get many days like this.”

Jake looked around, feeling proud that everyone was here. Usually, his sisters argued about everything—from who borrowed whose jacket to who sat shotgun in the car—but today was different. They were walking side by side, laughing, pointing at lions lounging in the shade and playful penguins waddling along the rocks.

At one point, Esli tugged on Jake’s sleeve and whispered, “Do you think Mom would let us get a pet monkey?”

Jake snorted. “You couldn’t even keep your goldfish alive.”

“Not my fault!” she shot back, giggling as Dana and Dilean overheard and immediately jumped in to tease her.

Their dad shook his head with a chuckle. “You four are lucky the animals can’t talk—they’d probably be asking to be moved away from you.”

By the afternoon, the family gathered around the massive elephant enclosure, watching the gentle giants sway and flap their ears. All six of them—Esli, Dana, Dilean, Jake, and their parents—stood quietly, taking in the peaceful moment.

“Let’s take a picture,” their mom suggested.