The Tree in the Back Yard

Two

I went back out eventually. I always do. It was a few days later, but the dirt that covered the robin's coffin still looked fresh. I sat next to the little mound in the shade. I hadn't brought a book today. I'd come to talk to myself. Again.

"I miss having friends," I said to the pile of dirt. The dirt didn't reply. "I could talk to them, but I don't think they'd understand."

The dirt remained silent.

"Really though, would anyone?" I continued. "I wouldn't really want to tell them everything anyway."

The soil said nothing.

"I began singing again, you know," I told it. "I sang again. I didn't know if I ever would. It helps, I think. I remember her. It isn't as painful as I thought it would be."

I heard a shuffling sound somewhere around me. I shot to my feet, already headed for the door. If it was the neighbor's little girl wanting to catch toads again, I didn't want to have to deal with it.

It wasn't her, though. I saw him leaning against the other side of the tree. I stopped dead in my tracks, letting out a squeak of terror.

"Sorry!" he said, throwing his hands up. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"Umf," I huffed out a breath, putting a hand over my wildly beating heart. "What are you doing here?"

He ran a hand through his curly dark brown hair. "I just heard someone talking."

I flushed scarlet. "This is not your property," I warned him. "Who are you anyway?"

"Uh," he thought for a moment, looking at the bottom of the tree. "Robin."

"Well hi, um, did you just move here?" I asked, shuffling my feet. 

He shook his head. "No, I've llived here for..." he seemed to stop himself. "A while," He finished.

I scrunched up my face in confusion. "That's funny, I haven't seen you anywhere." 

He stuck his hands in his pockets. "I was wondering why you missed your friends. Did they stop talking to you or something?" 

Tears welled up in my eyes and I turned back toward the house, away from him. "You should go." I started walking back to the house. 

"Emily, wait..." he called after me. I rounded on him in a second.

"How did you know my name?" I asked him, eyes narrowed. He looked sheepish for a moment. 

"I'm out here every day with you."