Unsure if it was the exhaustion, her emotions or just the rhythmic motion of the car, Kate was asleep within 10 minutes. They drove for just under an hour and parked up at the zoo. Sally and John got out of the car, getting everything out before Sally lightly woke Kate.
It took her a few minutes to come round, and Sally decided John could get away with carrying her a little in the car park while she woke up. Kate cuddled in and hid the pacifier she was sucking. As they came nearer to the entrance and people congregating, John put her down and they quickly discussed rules. "Right Kate for today while we are out, I would like you to hold either mine or Mommy's hand while we walk between things. While we are looking at things you can roam freely as long as we can see you." Kate nodded.
"You are expected to follow any instructions we give you or we will discipline you as we see fit while we are out. You may call us Mommy and Daddy or John and Sally, depending on how you feel and of course you will use your diaper as normal." This made Kate frown a little bit.
John took her hand, "you're hear with us to have fun, everyone else doesn't matter, you live your life and enjoy it and let us worry about protecting you and looking after you."
Sally tucked her pacifier away in her front pocket and put a small mobile phone in there. "This has both our numbers in and is only for use if you get lost, ok?" She smiled and took both their hands and started to skip towards the entrance.
When they got to the line for tickets, Kate let go of Sally and stayed with John. They reached the front of the line and John asked for three tickets, not saying adults or children to embarrass Kate but let the cashier presume what they needed. John paid and was handed the tickets, map guidebook and children's sheet.
Kate noticed this and was excited but embarrassed to be seen as a child. John just carried on as normal and Kate quickly forgot. "Daddy me have da map pease?" He smiled, handed it over and Kate set to work planning their route as well as checking the show and feeding times. After a few minutes she handed it to her Daddy, "pease fold it so me can hold it while we walk?"
John took the map and folded it into smaller section, but with the map now visible on the outside rather than being tucked away as it originally was. Kate smiled and took the map back, "ta Dadda."
John noticed the new more baby like name but didn't comment. Grabbing Sally's hand, she shouted, "come on dis way" and they were off around the zoo.
Firstly, they came to the large enclosures containing birds. Kate asked to let go of Sally's hand and took the sheet to fill in from John. They were unsure if she needed their help or she has slipped so far into little space, but she kept running backwards and forwards from the enclosures asking for help to read questions, spell words and even at one point if she could have a parrot of her own.
Cuddling up to him Kat asked, "Dadda wat da time?"
He checked his watch, "10:25 Katey."
She looked shocked, "quick the bird show starts in," she paused to count on her fingers, "5 minutes!"
Sally and John had their arms yanked as they were pulled along to the seating area for the show. They found some seats nearer the back, after all they were tall enough to see over and John thought Katey would be safer enjoying it out of some people's eye-line.
As they sat and waited for the show to start, Sally took a snack out of carrot sticks and a juice carton and Kate bounced up and down with excitement. She started to eat the sticks and drink but as the show started became entranced by birds swooping overhead and demonstrating tricks they had learnt. At one point Sally had to grab the carrot stick pot that was just about to fall off her knee.
The show ended and families were given the chance for photos with the birds. Kate looked up into her Daddies eyes, "it's okay, we can do this, but let's hang back and let others go first."
She nodded and waited patiently as others went before her. Finally, it was their turn, "do you want one on your own or with all of us?"
Kate thought, "can we have with pease dadda?" He just smiled.
Kate was sat with a long branch and brightly coloured parrot on it to hold. Once that was done John was sat in the middle, Sally handed a cockatoo to cradle like a baby and 2 love birds were stood on John's head.
Kate was trying her hardest not to giggle with glee as this happened but held it together until they were finished and outside. John took a ticket to redeem on the way out and get the photos, then joined Kate who was holding Sally's hand, laughing, and recanting the story as if she wasn't there.
Sally looked on in joy at Katie's happiness and when John joined them made overly exaggerated movements, pretending he could still feel the birds on his head. This only added to Kate's amusement, and she had to tell him to stop being silly, that the birds where gone.
They finished looking at the birds of prey, then Kate took John's hand and dragged him off towards the sea creatures. They started by watching the polar bears diving underwater for food. Kate's nose was pressed up to the glass and a bear swimming passed from out of nowhere, caused her to jump back in surprise.
Luckily John was there to catch her. They moved on to see the penguins with mothers looking after young chicks. "Dadda," Kate quietly spoke to him, "they very smelly, like stinky fish."
He grinned, "well baby girl, maybe cos that's what they eat?"
She gigged, "oh yep," then ran off to tell Sally penguins eat fish.
Finally of the large sea creatures, was the Californian sea lions. They spent time watching them jump out of the water for a trainer. Touching balls on a rope and retrieving items. When the trainer was finished, she threw fish into the water for the sea lions to dive for. Kate ran off to an underground viewing area to watch. John and Sally followed but by the time they had caught up with her they heard loud voices.
"What the fuck? Are you wearing a diaper?" A mouthy guy had cornered Kate after noticing the bulge and childish clothing.
"Go away, leave me alone." She started to sob as John came round the corner to confront him.
Kate moved behind John and his tone was absolute, "back off now."
The guy stuck out his hand to point at Kate, "Is that freak...."
He didn't get to finish. John seized his finger and in one fluid movement, twisted his arm up behind him, holding it in a position that would have broken his wrist with the right pressure. Sally put herself between Kate and the men.