The park gate stood open. Fabrizio bounced on the tips of his sneakers. Four swings waited, empty and swaying.
He spun in a circle, pointing at everything. The slide, the sandbox, the big grassy hill. 'Today is going to be amazing,' he thought.
His mom and dad came walking up the path, holding hands with his two siblings. Fabrizio grabbed four swings and pulled everyone into a line.
On three, they all kicked off. Squeak-squeak-sQUEAK! Fabrizio yelled, 'I'm winning!'
Fabrizio and his siblings piled into the sandbox. They started piling sand into a tall tower. Fabrizio's sister patted the top. The whole castle collapsed into a heap.
Everyone stared at the sandy heap. Then Fabrizio snorted. Soon all four were giggling until their bellies hurt.
Fabrizio dumped a bucket of water from the tap and patted the damp sand firm. Together they built a wider, sturdier castle with moats and towers.
The sun dipped lower, painting everything gold. Fabrizio stepped back and admired their work.
His parents arrived, smiling. Fabrizio ran to them and climbed onto his dad's shoulders.
They all tumbled down together into a cuddle pile on the warm grass. Fabrizio's head rested between his mom and dad.
Sand still clung to their knees. The park swings creaked softly in the evening air. Fabrizio leaned against his parents and whispered, 'This is the best day.'
The sky turned pink and purple. Fabrizio closed his eyes and listened to the swings creak. He knew he would dream about the castle.