Page 67 of Pumpkin Patch Pack

Made Maple small scared, sad.

Maple trots to special hiding place. Nose pushes through loose boards until… yes. There.

Perfect thing for apple girl.

Maple picks up soft-warm thing carefully. Must not damage. Is important treasure.

Back to apple girl, who sits on porch steps. Pack-males giving space but watching.

Always watching apple girl.

Apple girl looks up when Maple approaches. “Hey troublemaker. Come to cause more chaos?”

Today, comfort.

Maple drops treasure at apple girl’s feet.

Small blanket, soft blue like sky, smells like Theo-cinnamon. But also smells like Maple.

Apple girl stares. Eyes get water-bright like when rain comes.

“Maple… is this for me?”

I butt head against apple girl’s knee.

I bleat softly, “Yes. For you.”

Apple girl picks up blanket, holds against face. Takes deep breath. Makes small happy sound.

“Thank you, Maple. It’s perfect.”

Maple circles once, twice, then settles beside apple girl on step.

From across yard, see big warm Liam watching. He nods at Maple, the special nod that means “good job.”

Maple happy.

Theo comes over, sits on other side of apple girl. “Maple’s got good taste in gifts,” he says, voice soft-warm. “That’s my favorite barn blanket, I thought I had lost it.”

“She brought it to me,” apple girl says.

“She chose you, just like we did.”

Apple girl makes small sob-sound, but is happy-sob, not sad-sob. Maple knows difference.

Pack complete now.

Wanted. Protected.

Just like Maple.

Bad smell woman wrong about apple girl. Apple girl belongs here.

With pack.

With Maple.

Maple closes eyes, listens to pack-voices mixing together like wind in trees. Apple girl’s scent sweeter now.