Violet Rose

Chapter 3

When we got to the spot, I saw a large row of thick trees, so at first I couldn't see the pond. But when we got out of the car, Loryn led me through a small part in the trees into a lovely meadow with a small pond in the middle. The sun reflected brightly across the pond, and I had to shield my eyes to keep from being blinded. I followed Loryn, letting her decide where to put the picnic blanket. She chose a spot about 6 feet away from the pond, where we could easily observe the ducklings, which I hadn't spotted yet.

"The ducklings usually hide behind that little marshy area over there until their mom comes out. They follow her because they are so little." Loryn explained.

"When they come out, we can feed them some sliced grapes that I brought." I stated.

"Sliced grapes?" Loryn questioned.

"Most people feed them bread, but what they don't know is that bread actually makes them malnourished. Grapes are good for them though, and they don't hurt them, but in order to digest them properly, it's best if they are sliced in half." I explained.

"Oh my gosh - all those times when I was a little girl I was murdering ducks?! I can't believe that I feel so bad - how did I not know this? I feel terrible - this is terrible. This is awful. Why did my parents let me feed them that?! I - "

I stop here before she can continue. "It's okay, you didn't know. It's not your fault, so don't worry about it" I say as I rub her back softly, trying to be comforting.

"I still feel bad. Anyway, I guess it's a good thing when I come here I feed them birdseed instead of bread". She said with a hint of sadness in her voice. I could tell she was clearly still upset about the ducks. It was so cute that she cared about them just like she seemed to care for everything else. I admire that about her. I'd only just met her, and she was already easily showcasing her kind, caring nature for all creatures.

"Yes! That's good. Birdseed is very good for ducks" I told her.

She smiled, then turned away to begin unpacking the picnic basket. She removed all the food and placed it on the picnic blanket, then looked over at me with that same bright smile she always seemed to wear with pride. I couldn't help but grab her face and give her a quick peck on the lips before digging into the meal.

We enjoyed our sandwiches in a delicate, peaceful, soft silence. At some point the ducks came out of hiding and I grabbed the sliced grapes. Loryn and I went down by the pond to view and feed the ducklings, and the mother of course.

While we were down by the waters edge, Loryn picked a dandelion and brought it back to our spot. When we had both sat down again, she held it in her hand for a moment then leaned forward and blew into it. I watched as the soft fluff flew into the air and slowly dispersed into the wind. I wondered if she had made a wish. When I was a kid, I used to pick dandelions, and when I blew into them I made a wish. I can't really remember whether any of the wishes I made ever came true, but I hoped whatever Loryn had wished for, if anything, would come true. I didn't ask about it though. Instead I reached behind me for the picnic basket. I'd hidden a special surprise underneath the bottom flap, which Loryn didn't know about. She looked at me with skepticism for a moment, until I finally pulled out the surprise: a key lime pie.

She clapped her hands and squealed in delight. "I love key lime pie! How did you know?!" she exclaimed.

"I took a chance. Seems like it paid off" I stated as I cut 2 slices of pie. I'd made this a couple nights ago and hadn't had anyone to share it with until now.

I put a slice onto her plate as she held it out, then I handed her a fork.

Once we both had our pie and forks, she held out her fork and said "cheers!"