The day had dawned. Zoe was the first to wake up, getting out of bed and noticing that Leo was still sleeping. It was very early, and she went downstairs, expecting to find her uncle. Upon reaching the living room, she found the fireplace out and the place completely empty, but there was a note left on the table. She picked it up and read:
"I'll be out today. Please manage on your own at least until the afternoon. I'll be back before nightfall. You know the area well, so you should be able to handle it.
Signed: Uncle Roger"
"I can't believe I have to spend the whole day with that idiot brother of mine," sighed Zoe, though she was excited about the idea of going outside. She quickly went to wake Leo. "Hey Leo, wake up! We have to take care of Uncle Roger's house today!" she shouted. A creaking noise was heard from upstairs, followed by a sleepy voice: "Hmm, okay, I'm coming." Puff. A heavy thud was heard from upstairs.
Zoe ran up and saw her brother lying on the floor, sleeping peacefully. "Hey, wake up." She grabbed Leo by the arm and dragged him out of the room, saying: "Let's go, Leo. Stop being lazy." Leo banged his head against the foot of the bed as he was pulled and woke up with a slight pain. "Ouch, okay, I'm awake. Jeez, you don't even let me sleep." "Uncle Roger said we have to take care of things today because he's not here," said Zoe. Leo looked at her, still on the floor, and asked curiously: "And where did he go?" "Probably to the small town of Arbordale. It's the only place close to his house, and he said he'd try to be back before nightfall, so it might take a while."
Leo got up, massaging his own head. "Alright, let's do the day's chores, if there are any chores, that is."
They went downstairs, and Leo went straight to the table where the note was left. He picked it up and read it quickly. "I'm going to take a bath. Zoe, I ask you to sweep the house and dust." Zoe questioned, disagreeing: "Why should I do two chores while you take a bath?" "Taking a bath is a chore too. Cleaning yourself takes time," said Leo, with a clever posture, as if he was right. Zoe went to a broom and handed it to him. "You'll sweep the house, and I'll dust. After everything, you can take a bath."
Leo: "I'm very bad at sweeping a house." He tried to make an excuse.
Zoe: "Then you're going to learn how to sweep one now."
Leo took the broom from her hand with a bit of force. "I think this is too messy. How about we split the chores properly? Let's eat first and then do the rest of the things." Zoe looked at his face with suspicious eyes. "Hmm, alright. I hope this isn't an excuse for you not to do things." "I was just kidding with you, Zoe. Of course, I wouldn't leave all the chores to you."
Zoe: "Then it's decided. We'll do it your way."
Some time passed while they prepared something to start the day with full stomachs.
Now completely refreshed, Leo soon looked at the house and noticed the dirt and dust in it. "I'll get a bucket outside." Zoe was confused and said: "A bucket?" "Yes, a bucket. Wait here, I won't take long." Zoe didn't understand his intention with that, but agreed anyway. She went to a small table where a duster was and picked it up to start dusting the house.
In 30 minutes, she had dusted the entire house and noticed that Leo still hadn't returned. "He lied to me," she said, with a tone of disappointment and anger. After finishing cleaning everything, she put everything back in place. "I'm not going to sweep the house. That job is his. At least I did my part." She went outside to the back of the house and noticed that the buckets were still there. "He's not here." She looked around and saw Leo in the distance, up in a tree, picking some fruits and eating them.
She approached the tree. "Hey, what are you doing up there? Forgot we had a house to clean?" Leo picked another fruit, took a bite, chewed, and swallowed. "You should try one too, they're really ripe." "Stop stalling and go clean the—" Leo threw a fruit at her head. "I will clean, don't worry. Just relax a bit." He sat on a branch while taking another bite. "Climb up here, the view of the forest is really nice from up high."
Zoe: "But I don't know if I can climb up there, and this tree isn't even that tall."
Leo: "If it isn't that tall, then you should be able to climb it, right?"
Zoe looked around, trying to find an excuse. "It's... it's just that my legs are tired, so I don't want to waste energy climbing up there." "I think you're just scared." "No, that's not it." "Stop lying, I can see it on your face that you're scared." "I'm not scared!" "If you're not scared, then climb up here, and I'll believe you." Zoe hesitated for a moment but wanted to prove to her brother that she was brave too. "Fine, I'll climb up there just to hit your ugly face." She started climbing from branch to branch. However, the higher she climbed, the taller the tree seemed. "Strange, it looked smaller from down there," she thought. Her hands began to weaken, and her heart raced at the thought of falling from that height. "What's wrong? Are you scared? Haha," Leo laughed at her. "Shut up!" She shouted and started climbing more. In a way, she found strength in her brother's teasing, but at the same time, she felt insecure because of it. She climbed higher, getting close to the branch where Leo was sitting.
The branch was a bit far, so she had to stretch her body a bit more. She saw a high possibility of falling and froze in place. Leo noticed his sister was truly scared and said: "Come here, give me your hand." "No, you'll let me go, I know it." "What kind of brother do you think I am? I won't let you go, come on." "Promise?" "I promise. Just jump over here and leave the rest to me." He gave a confident smile, trying to encourage his sister. She stretched out and, before she could grab onto anything, Leo reached out, grabbed her arm, and pulled her onto the branch where he was sitting. She clung tightly to the tree branch in fear of falling, hanging over it like a cat afraid of water.
Leo: "See? Just sit here next to me and enjoy the view."
Zoe: (nervously) "I don't want to look down."
Leo: "You're not supposed to look down, just look at the trees, the clouds, the mountains, and... Just don't look at the sun, or it'll burn your eyes, haha."
Zoe settled on the branch, sitting right next to Leo. She looked at the horizon and realized the view was indeed incredible. They spent some time enjoying the landscape.
Both remained silent, just appreciating the view. Some birds began to fly in the distance, ants were tending to their colonies, squirrels ran along the branches of other trees, and a gentle breeze blew against them.
Leo: (breaking the silence) "This reminds me of that time when Mom and Dad surprised us with a picnic."
Zoe: (excitedly) "Yes! I remember. They took us to a hill overlooking a lake."
[A few months earlier]
Samantha: "Wait a little longer, kids. We're almost there."
Victor and Samantha were accompanied by their children. The kids were wearing small blindfolds while being guided by their parents. "And... we're here!" Samantha said cheerfully as she removed the blindfolds from Leo and Zoe. The children's eyes sparkled when they realized they were on a hill facing a crystal-clear lake with various fish swimming. Victor took out a red and white checkered cloth and spread it on the ground, placing a wicker basket on top to keep it from blowing away with the pleasant breeze.
Victor started organizing the food while Samantha admired the place with enchanted eyes, just like the children. Leo pointed to the lake and said: "Mom, can I swim there?" Zoe, not missing the opportunity, added: "I want to swim in the lake too."
Samantha: "We didn't bring clothes or towels for you to dry off with. We forgot that detail. I'm sorry, little ones."
Victor: "Don't worry. When it's close to nightfall, you can swim with the clothes you're wearing. For now, let's enjoy the afternoon and all this food we prepared."
The children ran to the picnic area and sat down. Samantha did the same, sitting next to Victor and resting her head on his shoulder. "You can eat as much as you want, kids," she said. "Just be careful not to overeat," Victor warned. Samantha gave him a light slap on the leg, saying: "Let the kids eat as much as they want, dear. It's good for their growth." Victor laughed. "Only if it's the growth of their bellies, hahaha." Samantha laughed along.
Samantha: "Stop making those jokes, or they'll think you're serious."
Victor looked around, admiring the view, and cut a pie into equal pieces for everyone. The family began eating and talking about future outings, reminiscing about the past, and enjoying telling stories to the children, making that day unforgettable for them.
The sky began to darken, and Zoe was playing with Leo in the lake. They were competing to see who could stay underwater the longest. Samantha and Victor watched them from the shore. Samantha looked worried and asked: "Isn't that game dangerous?" "Don't worry, they won't drown." "How can you be so sure?" Victor puffed out his chest and said proudly: "Because I'm here."
Samantha: (laughing) "Haha, I love your sense of humor, and I also love your protective nature with the kids."
She moved closer to him, giving him a kiss. Leo raised his head, splashing water on his parents. They broke the kiss, and Samantha said, laughing lightly at the sudden intrusion: "Son, be careful." "Sorry, Mom." Zoe surfaced a few seconds later, splashing Victor and Samantha even more, who quickly stood up and stepped back, laughing at the situation. "Did I win?" Zoe asked. "Yes, you won this time," Leo replied.
Zoe celebrated her victory, and Leo spent the rest of the time challenging her to other games. Later, they got tired and left the water. Samantha gathered the picnic basket and cloth while Victor carried Zoe on his back, who was already sleeping from exhaustion.
Leo: "My feet are tired. I don't think I can walk all the way home."
Samantha: "Hang in there a little longer, we're almost there."
Leo: "Why can Zoe ride on Dad's back, but I can't? I'm tired too."
Victor: "Because she's a girl, Leo, and girls need to be the priority in these situations, while you need to be strong and resilient, like a man should be."
Leo: "Huh?"
Victor: "How can I explain this to you? Men must be strong and brave, Leo, to protect those who are important and never show their weaknesses to anyone."
Leo: "And why can't Zoe do the same?"
Victor: "But she can. But you should be the source that inspires her to overcome and master her fears. That way, she will repay you with something even more valuable."
Leo: "Like what?"
Samantha: "Respect."
Leo: "I don't know if I understand yet."
Samantha: "One day you'll understand what your father means, Leo. And when you do, make sure to be a good brother to your sister. Give her security whenever she feels unsure and strength whenever she feels weak. Zoe is a very good girl. I'm sure she will try to repay you in the same way."
These words lingered in Leo's mind. He looked at his sister, who was sleeping peacefully with a cheerful expression, and walked more firmly, ignoring the discomfort and making his way all the way home.
[Present]
"Strong and resilient," Leo whispered. Zoe looked at him, confused. "Strong and what?" "Nothing. Do you want to explore the forest with me?" Leo quickly climbed down the tree and dusted off his clothes with light pats. Zoe looked down and shivered at the height. "I don't know if I can get down." "Just do the same thing you did when you climbed up, but this time going down."
Zoe held onto the branch tightly and began to carefully climb down. A fruit detached from the tree and hit her head. Startled, she let go of the branch and plummeted towards the ground. "AAHH!" Leo acted quickly and extended his arms to catch her. She collided with his arms, causing Leo to fall to the ground under her weight. They both ended up on the ground, and Zoe quickly got up. "I thought I was going to die," she said with a trembling voice, placing her hand on her chest, trying to calm down. Leo put his hands on his chest and said, gasping: "Ugh, you are... really heavy." "I'm not heavy, you're just too weak."
Zoe extended her hand to Leo. He took her hand and got up. "But thanks for catching me. Are you hurt?" "Don't worry. Shall we go?" "Let's go."
They walked through the forest for a few minutes until they found a spot with some flowers. A small part of them was damaged, and Leo observed: "It looks like last night's rain ripped and destroyed some of them." He picked a blue lily and handed it to Zoe. "Here, wear this." Zoe took the flower, examining it. "Why should I wear this?" "To give you more courage." He took the flower back and pinned the blue lily in Zoe's hair. "Just as this flower faced a great storm and remained standing, you also need to be resilient and strong like this flower." Zoe was surprised by the situation. "But... flowers are fragile. I don't know if they are a good example of strength, haha." Some bees appeared, visiting the still-standing flowers, collecting pollen, and returning to their hive. The siblings continued walking for a while longer.
Zoe gave a nut to a squirrel, and Leo tried to do the same but was chased because he took the nut from their stash, and they were not pleased at all.
They spent a good amount of time together, exploring the area around the house, and time passed without them noticing. Zoe was walking, carrying some apples. Leo was carrying a bunch of bananas and said: "Do you think it's bad to eat fruits all day?" Zoe bit into one of the apples and swallowed. "I don't think so. Dad always said fruit was good for your health." Zoe noticed it was already getting late and said: "Uncle Roger will be back soon. You better go and do your job and clean the house." Leo looked bored but understood he couldn't keep stalling forever. "Alright, let's go back then."
They walked towards the house. In a way, both their hearts felt calmer after the time they spent together. Zoe lightly touched the flower still in her hair and smiled contentedly, knowing she had another memory she never wanted to forget.