When we get to Astoria park we find that Orthrus, Nemean, Persephone and Alex are already there. I see that Persephone is wearing shorts and a sweatshirt instead of her usual dress and I can't help but wonder why she's dressed like that.
K-Can I play around?
Hades kneels in front of her and gives her a kiss on the forehead.
Ha-Stay where we can see you.
-And play safe.
K-Thank you.
With that she goes off to play. Hades and I sit with the others around the blanket that they put on the grass for the picnic and we talk and talk. Karai stops to say something or giving us a brief hug before she goes off to play again.
-Persephone, if I may ask, why are you dressed like that?
Pe-You'll see.
I sigh as I realize she won't tell me and I turn my attention on something else. When I hear Karai's voice.
K-Mommy, daddy, look at me.
We look at her and we're surprised when we see her on a branch at the very edge and she's waving at us. In a fraction of a second Hades is below her stretching out to take her.
Ha-Como here, get down from there.
K-Is not so high.
Ha-Karai.
K-Fine.
Karai gets a bit up before she jumps to his arms. He catches her without breaking a sweat and comes back to the picnic with us. Hades passes her a sandwich and with a serious tone.
Ha-You don't climb on trees or anything else for that matter. You might fall and hurt yourself.
He gives her a kiss on the cheek.
K-It wasn't so high and I had fun.
Ha-Still dangerous. Don't do it again.
K-Does that includes you?
Ha-What do you mean?
K-Now you can't charge me.
She takes a bite of her sandwich before she speaks again.
K-You're tall and when you charge me I'll be up very high and for you, that's dangerous.
-She got you there.
Ha-She certainly did.
We eat and when we finish eating Persephone pulls Hades and me to a more open space. She gets me lined up with Cerberus and Alex and takes Hades to line up with Nemean and Orthrus. She produces a ball from her back and I recognize it as a practice ball first.
Pe-The rules are simple, bounce the ball back and forth between each other. The ball touches the floor, grass, more than three times, you lose. Let's say, uncle drops it one time and you drop twice, the game is still on. Oh, one last thing, have fun.
She throws the ball high up on the air and the match begins. I jump fast and give the ball a powerful kick towards Hades. Since he has his guard down and I put all my strength into that initial kick it results in the ball landing on his abdomen and he steps back as he loses his balance. When he stands again he looks at me smiling before he throws the ball and we start the game. By lunchtime we have both thrown the ball twice and we're all panting for breath and sweating all over. For a moment I swear I could hear Karai laughing and smiling I keep my eyes on the ball. Persephone throws it up and Cerberus gives it a direct hit and it passes through them landing on Orthrus hands before it falls out giving us the victory.
Pe-Great job you all. Alex, Cerberus and Hera win. Sorry uncle, you, Nemean and Orthrus lost. Come on, let's rest and eat.
We start heading back to the picnic when Karai gives me a hug congratulating me for winning before she storms off towards Hades. She jumps into him that he falls backwards on the grass before he stands and picks her up and he walks towards the picnic again with Karai covering his face in small kisses again and again.
Ha-And, down you go.
K-Aww.
Ha-One more kiss?
Karai gives him a big kiss on the cheek before he puts her down. We eat the rest of the food, sharing stories and jokes between ourselves.
-Cerberus, do you remember what happened, very funny, at Karai's first birthday party? What she did.
C-She called you mommy for the first time?
-No but that was one the best things of my life. The other thing.
Pe-I know, when she identified correctly the thrones with their owners or at least some of them.
-No, I'm talking about when she tried to share her cake with Hades.
Ha-Really? That's the one you remember the most?
-Not really, that's because you looked so funny and it was so breathtaking and special.
Pe-A father, daughter moment. But you know Karai loves you, right Karai?
There is silence and I turn to Karai.
-Karai?
I see that she's asleep on the grass with a piece of food at her side. I smile inwards as I turn to Hades.
-She fell asleep.
Ha-No surprise there. She must be tired from running around. Well then, thanks for everything, but is time we head home.
We say our goodbyes and Hades turns to pick her up carefully. She awakes enough to say goodbye before she falls asleep again on his arms. We go to the condo to pass the night and Hades puts her on the bed and tucks her in before he comes to bed with me. I follow and hug him as we fall asleep together.
When I wake up the next morning I find that Karai has come sleep with us and I smile as she turns to her side and keeps sleeping. I go to the kitchen and prepare some breakfast for them and I go get it for them. I put the tray on the table and nudge them both awake.
-Hey, wake up.
Ha-Hey.
I give him a soft kiss before waking Karai.
K-A bit more.
Ha-Karai.
She opens her eyes a bit before she sits up sleepily.
K-I want to sleep a bit more.
-Then you won't get your surprise.
She jolts awake immediately smiling widely at us. I laugh and I pass them they're breakfasts and they eat it happily as I go prepare for the day. When we're all ready Karai asks me what is her surprise and I laugh a bit before answering.
-I'm going to take you to any place you want so, is there any place you would like to go in specific?
She thinks for a minute before she claps her hands together.
K-I want to go to the zoo. The one that I can pet the animals.
Ha-We can do that.
-Then let's go.
We go to the car and we hear as Karai talks about all the lions, the wolfs, the giraffes and all the animals she can list before we get there.
Ha-We're here.
Karai looks up and then she sticks her face to the window looking as we enter. Hades parks the car and turns it off and he turns to her.
Ha-Rules, stick close to us and don't wander off by yourself. Also, if you want something ask either of us first and we'll ask the experts there if you can.
-Are you ready to pet the animals?
She nods and we step out of the car and she hops in place as she waits patiently for us.
K-Can you hurry? Please.
Ha-I'm sure the animals won't go anywhere so calm down a bit.
We each take one of her hands and we enter the zoo. Hades gets us the VIP passes and we put them around our necks. Karai has an extra one with our information in case she gets separated from us whoever finds her calls us. Hopefully it won't come to that. We enter through the reptile's section and we watch as Karai goes from animal to animal until she stops on one for quite a bit longer.
-What's wrong?
K-I can't find the one that goes here.
-Maybe they're feeding it or they are doing something with it.
Suddenly a snake slips out from under a tree and attacks the glass making me jump back slightly and making Karai scream scared as she jumps to Hades arms. He laughs and after the snake retreats and the scare passes from her she steps forward to see it a bit closely.
-There it is.
K-Pretty.
Ha-Are you scared?
K-Not now. Is fast for being so big.
She nods in satisfaction before she goes to see the other animals. We hear as a voice on the speakers announce that they will have a moment to pet the biggest snake of the precinct for fifteen minutes. I feel a pull on my sleeve and I look down at Karai making puppy eyes at us with a smile on her face.
Ha-You want to pet the snake?
K-Please.
-I guess but you have to promise to follow every instruction they give you to the letter.
She nods excitedly and we go to where they have the snake. We watch as other people pet the snake and I watch as Karai politely asks if she can pet the snake and the lady smiles at her knowingly.
Zookeeper 2-What's your name?
K-Karai.
Zookeeper 2-You just have to touch her close to the middle. Not the head or the tail as their the most dangerous spots but in the middle right here.
The zookeeper points on a spot to Karai and she touches the snake slowly before she takes more confidence.
K-It's kind of, slimy? It feels weird. How it got so big?
Zookeeper-They shed their skin every certain time. She just did a few days ago and that's why you feel it like that. When she's going to shed it becomes drier and harder.
K-Gross but cool, pretty cool. Does it goes any bigger than this.
The lady shakes her head before the other zookeeper points out to the clock and she stands up as Karai comes back to us.
Zookeeper 2-Well, as always, before we leave some of you will have the chance to charge the snake for the last remaining minutes. So, who wants to give it a shot?
Nobody volunteers to charge the snake until I step up.
-I will.
I see Hades worried look and I give him a smile as he nods still unconvinced by the idea. I go forward and the keepers put the snake around my neck slowly. They tell me how to hold her and everything before one asks me if I want a picture too. I nod and they take the picture and show it to me. The snake moves and she starts getting her tongue out and I get nervous as it gets closer to my face, she sticks her tongue out tickling my face before she goes back into position.
-Bloody hell is heavy.
After a minute or two they get it off of me and I laugh to myself as they take her away and I look at Karai.
K-How heavy was it?
-Very heavy but it was fun and gross just like you said.
Ha-Do you want to know a secret?
-Say it.
Ha-It was her idea. She asked the lady to do that extra especially for us.
K-Did you like my idea? Although I really thought that it was going to be dad who volunteer to charge the snake and not you.
-Really? Well, I did like your idea.
Next we go to the birds and she goes from cage to cage looking at the birds.
K-Mommy, daddy, look they have eggs. And they're breaking.
Ha-Hatching Karai, hatching.
K-That, look, look, look.
We look at the eggs hatch and when all the eggs hatch we go to the petting area.
