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“You spent all day helping me. So I’ll do the same.”
“Don’t you have another job to do?”
“It’s the weekend.”
I wanted to argue, but she was heading to the hose to rinse her hands before I could stop her.
I grabbed extra treats for both animals before we went back.
The chickens were always first, and Hennifer swarmed me when she saw me.
“Hey, quit!” I called. “I have?—”
But she was gone before I could finish the sentence.
“Wow,” Mollie said as she threw worms down. “She really is not herself when she’s hungry.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t let that attack go on for longer.”
“I’m feeling nice after you helped me. But what I saw was enough too. You’re not invincible,” she said as she poked my chest.
And I knew I wasn’t. Not by a long shot.
The cows grumbled about how late we were, but let me milk them while Mollie threw their favorite tubers on the ground.
“Okay,” I said. “Now seriously, I don’t need any more help. I’ve got it from here.”
“I could cook dinner.”
“No, you—” I checked the time. Itwasabout the time I would normally start cooking.
“I make a mean burger.”
“Really? You’re gonna say that in front of the cows?”
She winced. “Sorry!” she whispered to them. Moosley was the only one who looked up, but merely flicked an ear in response.
“Fine,” I replied. “Please start on dinner.”
“We make a good team,” she said with a smile.
I didn’t want to admit it. “We do.”
She laughed before running off, and I stared after her. It took a lot for me to get attached, but I was starting to like having her around, even when she drove me up the wall.
But things didn’t go well for me when I started to get attached, and though she was a staple to everything now, I didn’t know how long it was going to last.
I needed to distance myself and remember that all of this was temporary.
Yet I had no idea where to fucking start.
19
MOLLIE
Strawberry Springs Neighborhood Watch
Tammy Jane