Miss Dottie set down her shears and leaned on the fence. “Junie, sweetheart, Clove’s not in trouble—she’s just getting old. She needs to rest now.”
Junie held the hen close. “But you said you were putting her down, like Grandpa.”
Miss Dottie smiled gently. “Not like that, honey. I meant she’s retiring from laying eggs. Her body’s just tired, like your grandpa’s was.”
Junie brightened. “Can she come stay with us? So she doesn’t have to work anymore?”
Miss Dottie nodded. “She’d love a little vacation.”
As Junie led Clove away, already planning snacks and a cozy spot, Miss Dottie and I shared a quiet smile.
“She’s got a heart as big as the sky,” Miss Dottie said.
That evening, watching Junie picnic with Clove in the yard, I realized—sometimes, it takes a child to remind us of the simple, gentle things that matter most.
