"Wow!"
Upon hearing the announcement on the ship, Ben and Anna immediately rushed to the deck, their eyes filled with excitement as they beheld the spectacular scene before them.
They had seen countless pictures of Antarctica on television and the phone, but only when they were there did they realize that photos could never capture even a tenth of its true beauty.
The impact of nature left a deep impression on the two children for the first time.
"Can we disembark now?" Anna could not wait to turn around and look at Joe and Charlotte, her face full of eagerness.
"Be careful, okay?" Charlotte reminded them. "Once we go down, you mustn't run around. Stay close to us, alright?"
Ben and Anna readily agreed. In fact, they would nod along to anything Charlotte said at this point.
Charlotte cast a helpless glance at Joe. "I think it's better if we each hold one of them."
Even though the two kids had agreed enthusiastically, they might forget everything in a little while.
Charlotte and Joe each held one of the children's hands as they disembarked from the cruise ship. Along the way, they bumped into Noah's family. Anna still remembered how Samuel had hit her with a cake before, so she simply turned her head and refused to greet him.
Charlotte nodded slightly to the two of them with a hint of apology. Harper and Noah quickly smiled back at her, then went their separate ways.
Anna and Ben jumped and frolicked on the snowy ground, the exhaled air turning into layers of white mist, making them even more excited.
"Mom, can I go over there?"
Ben asked Charlotte while stepping on the snow for a while, pointing to a nearby rock.
Charlotte saw the rock well within their line of sight and, after a brief thought, agreed.
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