19Harriet of the Folded Heart

Harriet was almost to the zoo — she could see the gates from here — when she stopped to preen her feathers by the river and noticed the light on the water. And that was that. Some birds fall in love with a place the way people do: all at once, and forever. She folded her wings and they made the shape of her secret. Look at her sideways and you'll see it — a heart. She never did finish the walk to the zoo. She didn't need to. She was home.