"Now Maya…there are lots of people in the zoo. You have to stay with us because we don't want to lose you." Jonah looked at his daughter before lifting her out of the car.
Maya looked up and nodded. She smiled at him. "Yes Papa."
Cesca laughed and took Maya's hand while Jonah got the picnic out of the boot. Maya turned and saw the man with balloons stood by the first gate. Cesca felt herself being tugged over towards the entrance.
"Afterwards Maya…we wouldn't want you to lose it sweetie." She smiled at her daughter before picking her up. "So…what shall we see first?"
Maya bit her lips while she was thinking and then smiled. "We should see the lions and tigers and bears…" She popped a hand across her mouth.
"Oh my." Cesca finished the song from their favourite film. Whenever Maya couldn't sleep then Cesca would take her downstairs and they would curl up to watch the 'Wizard of Oz.' Cesca could always guarantee that Maya would be asleep by the time the house fell in Oz.
"Have you girls finished? Can we go in now?" Jonah walked up behind them and put an arm around Cesca's back. He gave Maya a kiss before putting a gentle one on Cesca's lips. He took Cesca's other hand and they walked towards the entrance.
…
By lunchtime they had done the penguins, the bears and the monkeys. Jonah had nearly lost his camera by getting too close to the monkeys and the whole family had got wet when one of the penguins had decided to dive bomb. Cesca went and found a table with Maya while Jonah fetched them coffee's.
Cesca looked at Maya and decided to top up her sun cream before Jonah got back.
"Mummmaaaaa." Maya wrinkled her nose as Cesca tried to put the sun cream on her nose.
"Come on sweetie." She ran the cream in swirls over Maya's face to make her giggle. She gave up and let Maya rub the cream in.
"That looks fun." Jonah walked over and put the coffee's down on the table. He lifted the picnic bag up and started unloading it on the table.
Cesca finished with the sun cream on Maya before turning her back round to the table. All of their friends thought she was over-protective with Maya in the sun. She did have a mixture of Jonah and Cesca' skin colour. So there was a chance that she wouldn't burn at all. However that was not a risk that Cesca wanted to take.
"So Maya…do you want ham or dairylea?" Jonah held up the rolls to let Maya pick.
"Don't be silly Daddy…I don't like ham." She reached her hands out to take the sandwich. Cesca helped her unwrap the bread and broke it into Maya sized pieces. She took the coffee from Jonah and they talked between the three of them. Maya made a mess as usual, however this time Jonah took a photograph of the evidence.
"She's going to hate you for that when she's older…" Cesca laughed as she started to wipe the food from Maya's face.
"She could never hate her Papa. Anyway I need to start collecting evidence to scare off boyfriends." They quickly finished and made their way around the rest of the zoo. They made sure to leave the lions till last.
Maya was dragging both parents along to get to the lions as quickly as she could. Cesca had never seen her daughter so in awe of something. As closing time came closer and closer she had to gently coax Maya away from the animals.
Walking around the gift shop Maya could have spent her parents wages again and again.
"Papa." Maya walked up to him with a soft lion toy clutched between the hands. Jonah looked at Cesca who nodded.
"Cesca Kirby, you are a soft touch." Jonah smiled before picking Maya up. "Let's take your lion to the lady then Maya."
Cesca giggled before following them. She kissed Jonah on the neck before putting two other toys on the cashiers counter. Jonah looked down and laughed. There was a tiger for Jonah and an elephant for Cesca. Jonah looked at her and sighed. "There was me thinking that Maya was my main problem." He passed Maya to Cesca who wrapped her arms round her daughter. She wanted to remember this day and the rest before their baby was born. She wanted to make the most of Maya.