Just Another Day in Paradise


When Nick opened his eyes, he saw the sunlight shining through the window onto the bed. He looked to his right, and saw that Judy wasn't there. He sat up in bed, checking the clock beside him. It was 8:00 AM. Judy must have gotten up to make breakfast. Nick walked over to his dresser, pulled out a shirt, and jeans, and made his way downstairs. When he entered the kitchen, he saw his son Jack seated in a high chair. Jack looked just like both his parents. He was an orange rabbit with purple eyes. A neat combination, Nick and Judy always thought. Jack had been born a year earlier, much to the disbelief of his parents, who couldn't believe that already a year had gone by since he was born. The challenges of parenting were tough, but the rewards were great. Jack was a wonderful baby, so full of energy, and happiness. Nick and Judy couldn't have been prouder. When Nick entered the kitchen, Jack began banging his spoon on his placemat, making happy sounds upon seeing his father.

Judy, who was at the sink washing dishes, turned around to greet him.

"Good morning, honey," Judy said. "What will it be today? Pancakes or bagels?"

"I'll take two pancakes, please," Nick said, taking a seat at the table.

"Coming right up," Judy said, stirring the pancake in the pan.

Nick picked up a copy of the newspaper on the table. He flipped through it to the sports section to see if his favorite football team had won last night.

"Yes! The Zootopia Soldiers won again!" he said.

"Really? What was the score?" Judy asked.

"34-28."

"Wow! That's pretty close."

"Yeah, they were winning when I went to bed last night. I would have stayed up, and watched the rest, but I was too tired."

"Well, at least it's Saturday. You got to sleep in a little," Judy pointed out.

"That's true."

Nick turned to Jack, who staring at him.

"How are you doing today, Jack? You want to go for a walk in the park?"

Jack laughed, clapping his paws together.

Judy turned around, and looked at Jack. "I just got done feeding him before you came in. He sure is a hungry boy."

"Haha. He takes after his father," Nick replied.

"That's for sure."

Judy placed two pancakes on Nick's plate in front of him, and then took a seat herself.

"So what shall we do today?" Judy asked, cutting into her pancake.

"Well, how about we go for a walk in the park like I said to Jack earlier? It's a gorgeous day."

"It is. I could use some exercise too."

Judy turned toward Jack, and gave him a kiss on the head. "Does the park sound fun, sweetie?" Would you like that?"

Jack smiled, and clapped his hands together.

"I'll take that as a yes," Judy said, smiling in return.


Nick and Judy put Jack in his car seat, loaded up the van, and drove to the park. When they arrived, Nick retrieved the stroller from the back, and Judy buckled Jack in.

The Wilde family then took a stroll through the park, admiring the beautiful weather. Jack sucked on his binky, looking around at everything in the park. Since he was only a year old, Jack still had many, many things to experience. Every day was an adventure for him. When they passed a large tree with a shady spot, the family decided to rest.

Judy took Jack out of his stroller, and sat him on her lap, gently rubbing his back.

"This is nice and comfy," she observed.

"It sure is," Nick said, lying back on the grass.

Judy placed Jack down on the grass to allow him to crawl around.

The two parents watched happily as Jack crawled over to the tree. He place his paws on the bark, enjoying the rough feel of it.

"That's a tree, Jack," Nick said, sitting up. "There's a lot of them in Zootopia."

Jack moved his paws on the tree, he really liked the way the bark felt. When he was done exploring all that the tree had to offer, he crawled back over to Judy, who again picked him up, and sat him on her lap.

"Do you like trees, sweetie?" she asked.

"Tree," Jack murmured.

"What did you say?" Judy asked, surprised.

Nick moved in closer to his wife, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"What did you just say, Jack?" he asked his son. "Say it again, for mommy and daddy."

"Tree," Jack said.

Nick and Judy looked at each, smiling brightly.

"His first word," Judy said in disbelief.

"He said his first word," Nick said.

"Tree," Jack said again.

"He's talking!" Judy exclaimed.

"How about that?" Nick said.

"Tree," Jack said, pointing toward the tree that he was touching earlier.

"Yes, sweetie, that's a tree," Judy said, allowing Jack to crawl over to the tree.

"Tree," Jack said.

"I can't believe he's actually talking," Nick said.

"Me neither," Judy agreed.

Jack crawled back over to his parents, climbing into Judy's lap. He reached his arms up to his mom, signaling he wanted to be held.

Judy picked up her son, and kissed him softly on the head. "We're so proud of you, sweetie."

"We sure are. This is a big step for you, little one," Nick said.

"Tree," Jack exclaimed.

Nick and Judy laughed. What a joyous moment this was.

The Wilde family stayed in the park until the sun began to set. When they returned home, Jack was tired from a long day out in the sun. He fell asleep with ease, his parents watching over him.

Nick looked at Judy, and smiled. Just another day in paradise," He said.

Judy leaned forward, and kissed him on the lips. "Yep."


A/N: It's been a while since I've written a Zootopia story. It occurred to me that I should update my longer Zootopia story "Guilty of Love" soon. It's been a while I know. Thanks for reading!