The Boy, the Chicken, and the Ribbon Every morning before school, he races outside barefoot—even when the ground is cold and covered in frost. He doesn’t seem to notice. He’s on a mission. He’s looking for her. He talks to her like she’s a classmate, not a chicken. “I think I aced my spelling test,” he’d say. “But the clouds looked different today—maybe a storm is coming?” He shares everything with her: his thoughts, his little worries, his silly ideas. And she listens. Always. She follows him like a loyal

I stared at the text message again. For what felt like the hundredth time. Was she serious? She said she’d given her life to making sure I had “everything I needed.” Then why did I feel so lost? Why was I still struggling? The truth hit me like a ton of bricks: I felt abandoned, deceived, and deeply hurt. I thought about firing back an angry text, but I stopped myself. No. I needed to talk to her face-to-face. Maybe she didn’t realize how bad things really were for me.

Love’s Second Chance: A Battle Against the Past At 58, I had given up on love. After my divorce, I told myself, “I don’t need anyone.” My books were my companions, the ocean my solace. But deep down, I wondered—was this really enough? Then Oliver walked into my life. The Unexpected Spark One quiet morning, as I sipped coffee on my porch, I spotted him—a tall, handsome man strolling along the beach with his golden retriever. “Morning,” he called with a warm smile. “Good morning,” I replied, my heart doing