An Unexpected Visitor On The Porch
The woman turned the brass knob, pulled open her white front door, and looked down onto the welcome mat.
A grey squirrel sat upright on its hind legs, sporting a neatly tied red ribbon around its neck.
It let out a sharp squeak, shifted its weight, and fixed its dark eyes directly on her face.
Her eyebrows lifted as she stepped across the threshold onto the wooden boards.
Instead of darting into the bushes, the animal pivoted smoothly and trotted down the concrete path.
It paused every few feet, twisting its head backward to ensure she was still trailing behind.
Following Tracks Through The Lawn
She walked along the walkway, keeping pace behind the bouncing tail.
The squirrel veered off the cement and into the thick green grass beside an apple tree.
It stopped at an open patch of loose brown dirt and dropped to all fours.
Its front paws began churning the soil, tossing up dark clods in rapid bursts.
The woman knelt on both knees in the turf, brushing her knuckles against the freshly disturbed earth.
She placed both hands into the dirt beside the small paws and scooped out handfuls of mud.
Uncovering A Forgotten Keepsake
Her fingers struck a hard, cold metal corner beneath the grass roots.
She gripped both sides of the heavy object and lifted a tarnished metal tin free from the hole.
Her thumbs pressed against the rusty latches and pried the hinged lid open.
Inside rested a stack of yellowed letters alongside faded black-and-white photographs.
The squirrel sat back on its haunches inches away, watching her hands sort through the contents.
She picked up the top photograph, holding it up against the afternoon light.
The image showed a young girl in a plaid dress sitting under the exact same tree, extending her hand to a small squirrel.
Her lower lip trembled, and moisture gathered along the rims of her eyelids.
She pressed the edges of the vintage photograph against the center of her chest.
A rustle shook the branches overhead, drawing her gaze upward toward the leafy canopy.
The squirrel perched on a low bough with its red ribbon fluttering in the breeze, gazing straight down at her.
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