 |
| Grouchy Grover the Rose-Breasted Grosbeak ©️ 2021 Rebekah Hoeft |
Grover eyed the cat nervously. Mission nearly complete, Grover darted to the hibiscus plant by the house. This was the last trip to finish his special valentine and apology.
That morning, Grover had been rude to Rose.
"Go away. This is my spot." The branch Grover claimed was perfect for catching bugs and held perfectly ripe coffee berries.
"Sure, Grover. I'll go," she’d chirped kindly. Off she’d flitted to friends perched in the warm Jamaican sun. He wished he’d been kinder. Valentine’s Day wasn’t the same without Rose.
Most rose-breasted grosbeaks loved winter vacation, but as usual, he’d woken up on the wrong side of the branch. He missed their Michigan garden with its pine trees and sunflower seeds supplied by thoughtful humans. His winter feathers were faded and splotchy. Grover didn’t feel like himself.
Now he was trying to make it up to Rose.
The cat turned. Scared but determined, he plucked up his courage, plucked the flower, and soared away just as the cat pounced.
Returning to his masterpiece, he placed the last flower.
Nervously, he chirped, "Rose? Can you come here?"
She hopped to where he stood next to a tasty heart made of flowers and coffee berries.
"Rose, I'm sorry I was unkind. Will you be my valentine?"
"Always, Grover."
©2021 Rebekah Hoeft
* * * * * * * * * * *
Susanna Leonard Hill is hosting her annual ValenTINY contest. She invites authors to write and submit stories of 214 words or less centered around Valentine's Day. This year, authors also need to include the idea of bravery in their stories. For the complete rules and to read other entries, you should check out her Valentiny blog post.
* * * * * * * * * * *
