Lily had been waiting all week for Saturday. Every morning before school, she’d ask, “We’re still going this weekend, right?” and Caleb would grin over his coffee and reply, “If you keep up those chores, kiddo. Deals are deals.” Earning Saturday meant finishing her homework without being reminded, feeding the cat before dinner, and keeping her shoes off the hallway rug.
It was a sacred agreement between them, her good behavior for their weekend ritual at the Maplewood Wildlife Sanctuary. When the day finally came, Lily was up before the sun. She double-checked her little backpack: water bottle, notebook, colored pencils, and a sandwich she’d made herself, and then went and stood by the door, jacket zipped and sneakers laced.