Just as he had promised, after Rowan passed away, the rescue shelter came to take his dogs and cats away.
The animals looked despondent. They seemed unwilling to leave, turning back again and again to look at the house with longing. The shelter workers slipped leashes around their necks and tried to lead them away, but the dogs and cats resisted, whimpering softly as they stared back toward the house.
"What should we do? They won't go."
At that moment, a young woman stepped forward. She was the one who had once treated Dilo. She crouched down in front of the dogs and cats and spoke to them gently.
"Your owner has gone away for a while and can't come back to take care of you right now. He asked us to come and bring you along. We'll take care of you for him until the day he comes to pick you up, all right? Just think, if one day he comes and sees you thin and sickly, wouldn't he be heartbroken? So for now, be good and come with me, okay?"
The dogs and cats gazed at her sadly. At last, they rose and followed the group.
Just then, a young man passing by scoffed,"Why bother talking to them? They don't understand anyway. Just drag them along, it's faster."
The girl shot him a sharp look."You're the only one here who doesn't understand the language of dogs. They understand exactly what you're saying."
She then got into the vehicle with the other shelter workers, ready to leave, when suddenly a voice called out from behind.
"Wait... please wait!"
From a distance, a group of children came running toward them, shouting as they ran.
"Excuse us! We're Mr. Rowan's art students! Can we adopt those dogs and cats?"
The girl was taken aback. Seeing her pause, the children still panting for breath forced themselves to speak louder and more clearly.
"We promise we'll take really good care of them! If you don't believe us, you can come check on them every week, no, every day if you want!"
Their clumsy but sincere words made the shelter workers laugh, deeply moved.
"Of course you can."
The children burst into cheers, jumping up and down with excitement.
Meanwhile, by the roadside beneath a tree, Anwen and Rowan were holding hands, watching everything unfold.
She smiled, her voice trembling with emotion."They're wonderful kids. It's such a blessing that they learned to love animals so early."
"Yes," Rowan said softly. "With them, I can finally feel at ease. I believe they'll do well."
Anwen nodded, her eyes full of trust. Just then, the silver bracelet on her wrist chimed softly. She and Rowan looked at each other.
"Shall we go?" she said. "It's time for us to carry out our mission."
"Yes."
...
That year, it was a beautiful summer.
There was a little girl born with a congenital heart condition. Her parents brought her to the countryside so she could rest and recover, away from the noisy, bustling city.
Sitting in the car, she watched the scenery glide past the window. Her eyes sparkled like stars. There were so many things she had never seen before, and she gazed at them with pure, childlike wonder.
A rounded hill rose in the distance, shaped like a steamed bun, covered with fluffy clusters of trees that made it look like a giant broccoli. A little farther on, she saw a vast meadow stretching endlessly toward the horizon, its beginning visible, but not its end. On the grass grazed herds of water buffalo and cows, animals she had previously known only from books and television. She was so delighted that she pressed her hands against the car door and leaned forward eagerly.
Her father, driving, glanced at her in the mirror."Anwen, sit properly. Be careful, you might fall. Country roads are full of potholes."
She obediently sat back down, but her eyes remained fixed on the view, as if she wanted to escape the car and ride the wind to some distant shore.
Just then, a flock of birds spread their wings over the fields, it was egrets. She pointed excitedly.
"Dad! Mom! Look, egrets!"
Her mother smiled softly."It seems Anwen really likes this place."
"There are so many things here I've never seen before," she agreed.
"Then take your time and enjoy it," her mother said. "We'll be staying here for three whole months."
Three months. Three months in a brand-new place.
Soon, the car turned onto a small road and stopped in front of a house. At first glance, it looked no different from the others nearby. The girl got out, lifted her head, and saw a modest house with a very large garden. Her eyes lit up.
"For the next three months, this will be our home," her mother said.
Living here, this was her first time staying in a tiled-roof house. What excited her most was the garden. She ran inside and exclaimed,"I'm going to plant lots and lots of flowers here!"
"Of course," her father said. "Plant whatever you like. This garden will belong to you, Anwen."
She was overjoyed. In her mind bloomed an image of a garden filled with colorful flowers, like a fairy-tale garden in a princess's castle.
Her father opened the front door, and she followed eagerly inside. The house had all the basic furnishings. He sighed lightly.
"Well, looks like we'll be cleaning for a while. Anwen, go play by yourself first."
"Yes, Dad."
On the second day after moving in, the girl began wandering around the village.
She went to the meadow she had seen from the car. It was vast and breezy. The wind rolled across the grass like waves, and birdsong rang faintly in the air, sounds she rarely heard in the city.
She found a shaded spot and sat down, gazing into the distance. The endless field seemed to draw her in. She wanted to be free like the wind, to run across the grass until she collapsed from exhaustion, hugging the blades of grass as they tickled her skin.
She wanted to be like the wind.
Propping herself up with her hands, her eyes grew a little sad. She knew that wish might never come true.
She placed a hand over her chest, feeling her heart beat.
On the third day, then the fourth, she returned to the meadow again. One day, arriving later than usual, she noticed a boy sitting not far from her usual spot.
He looked older than her.
He was focused on a sheet of paper resting on his knees, pencil in hand. Was he drawing?
Curiosity stirred. She crept up behind him. He was so absorbed, and the wind sweeping the grass drowned out her footsteps. The grass was soft beneath her feet, like stepping on foam.
Standing behind him, she caught a glimpse of what was on the paper.
She froze in shock.
He drew beautifully. Every line was fluid and alive, as if he had torn the scenery from reality and pressed it onto the page. Even more astonishing, what he was drawing looked like… her.
She lifted her head, glanced at the spot where she usually sat, then back at the drawing. It was the same angle. He was drawing her, a little girl sitting beneath a tree, hugging her knees and gazing into the distance.
Did that mean he had been coming here every day just to watch her?
And yet she had never noticed.
She watched him quietly. He wasn't much older than her, yet his talent was astonishing. She glanced down at her own hands, her fingerprints had long faded from countless needle pricks. She didn't even know how many fingerprints she had left. She knew one thing for sure: she could never draw like him.
Suddenly, through the gaps between her fingers, she saw that he had turned around at some point and was looking straight at her.
His face was striking handsome, even. Her heart skipped a beat, then began to race. Heat rushed to her face and ears. Embarrassed at being caught spying, she turned and fled.
But she couldn't really run. Even walking quickly left her breathless. She didn't know whether fleeing was right or wrong only that she was mortified.
After just a few steps, a pleasant voice called out behind her.
"Hey…"
She stopped instinctively. Does he think I'm rude? Like a thief? Her mother had always taught her to apologize when she was wrong. Running away would only make things worse.
She turned back, walked up to him, bowed deeply, and said clearly,"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to spy on you. I just… I just thought your drawing was beautiful."
She braced herself, wondering how he would react.
Instead, he chuckled softly."It's fine. I was actually wondering why you didn't come today, if you'd gotten bored."
She scratched her head. So he really had been watching her all along.
"Do you come here every day?" she asked.
He nodded."Yes. I like this place. I just didn't expect someone to arrive even earlier than me these past few days."
"I like it here too…" she said shyly.
Then he suddenly held the drawing out to her.
"It's for you. Take it, I drew you, after all."
She accepted it, staring in awe.
"I was just sketching," he said. "If you don't like it..."
"I love it!" she said firmly, hugging it to her chest.
He laughed."You're the girl from the new house, right?"
"Yes."
"What's your name?"
"My name is Anwen." She hesitated, then asked, "And you?"
"My name is Rowan."
"Rowan…" She repeated it with a smile."Where do you live? Will you come here tomorrow? And the day after?"
"Yes. I'll be here every day."
And so, every day, she came to the meadow and so did he. From then on, he always arrived first, sitting in the same spot, and she would sit beside him when she arrived. Their friendship began that way, growing closer day by day.
One day, he asked,"Why did you move here? How long will you stay?"
"I'm here to recover from an illness. When summer ends, I'll go back to the city."
"An illness?" He looked surprised.
"Yes. I have a congenital heart condition."
She spoke of the hospital visits, the endless medications. Returning to the countryside was only temporary, three months later, she would undergo surgery. If it succeeded, she would live. If not…
"You're very brave," he said gently.
She smiled."I'm not brave. My parents are. If I die, it ends for me but they have to keep living with the pain."
Her tone held no fear, only resolve.
He rested his head on his hand and said softly,"I'm the one who stays behind in your words."
She turned to him in surprise.
"My parents passed away when I was very young. My grandmother raised me. I understand the pain of those who remain. So… please, do your best to live."
She regretted her words instantly, wishing she could erase them. Lowering her head, she reached into her pocket and handed him some gummy candies.
"These are for you."
He took one."Thank you."
"They're my favorite. I always carry them. Whenever I have to take bitter medicine or get blood drawn, I eat one. Candy doesn't erase the pain—but it reminds me that sweetness still exists in the world."
Time passed quickly. A month slipped by.
Visiting the meadow to see him became her daily routine. Until one day, as she walked along cheerfully, a ferocious bark startled her. A large dog burst from a nearby gate and charged at her.
Her face went pale. She couldn't run. The dog lunged, knocking her to the ground. She screamed and covered her head.
Then a shout rang out. Someone stepped in front of her, pushing the dog away.
The owner rushed out, pulling the dog back."Oh my goodness! Are you two all right?"
At the same time, a familiar voice asked urgently,"Are you okay?"
It was him.
She burst into tears, trembling. Though it was summer, her body was icy cold, her nails turning purple. He pulled her into his arms, soothing her.
"It's okay. I'm here. You're safe now."
The woman noticed her pale lips and nails and panicked."Do you want candy? Fruit? Come inside first."
The girl shook her head, sobbing until she began coughing. His face drained of color.
"Are you all right? I'll take you home."
"I'm okay… I just need a moment."
Finally, she calmed down and thanked the woman. The woman returned with a bouquet of sunflowers.
"I heard you're planting flowers. These are seedlings I just grew. Take them."
Her eyes lit up as she accepted them.
As they walked away, he said,"Let me carry the flowers."
When he reached out, she saw three deep scratches on his arm.
"You're hurt!"
"It's nothing," he said lightly.
She couldn't stop staring at the wounds.
After a while, she asked quietly,"Do you believe in heaven? A place with no pain, only happiness?"
He smiled and ruffled her hair."I don't think death is the end. I believe those who leave still watch over us. And separation always brings sorrow to both sides."
"If such a place exists," she said softly, "I'd like to wait there for the people I love."
He looked at her seriously."Then you must be very patient. Waiting is never easy. So… don't leave, okay?"
She nodded.
After a pause, she asked,"In two months, I'll leave. Will we see each other again?"
"Yes."
She held out her little finger."Let's promise, no matter where we are, we'll find each other."
He smiled and hooked his finger with hers.
Just then, she pointed excitedly into the distance."Look! A kite so beautiful!"
"You like it? Then I'll make one for you. And we'll fly it together."
"Yeah."