“Nothing will ever be the same again," Ally said to herself.
Ally's father died last summer. It wasn't fair, Ally thought. Dad was young and had never been sick. Why had his heart suddenly stopped? Ally sank slowly into her father's favorite chair and looked at his picture on the bookcase. Ally smiled. "I miss you, Dad," she said softly.
She felt a hand smoothing her hair and looked up. "" Why don't you come outside with me, Ally?" her mother asked. "The birds are nesting(筑巢) in the woods. By this time last year you'd already taken dozens of pictures."
But her mother must know bird watching wouldn't be the same this year. How could it be? Ally wondered. Ever since she could remember she and Dad had been a team, searching the woods for the special wood warbler. "I'll be out in a while, I promise," she answered,
After her mother left, Ally ranched for the photo album she and Dad had put together. On the cover was a photo of a tiny orange bird with blue-gray wings and black eyes. Dad cut it from a local newspaper, Ally smiled, remembering the excited look on Dad's face when he showed her the pretty bird,
"I can't believe someone spotted(发现) this little guy way up here in New Jersey," he said. "Wood warblers are usually found in the south, not this far north. I bet if we search real hard, Ally, we'll see this little guy together someday."
Ally closed her eyes. She loved thinking about the times she and Dad had spent searching the woods for the little bird. They'd never spotted the warbler, but her father had an amazing way of making each outing seem special. He was her best friend, and when they were together Ally felt comfortable, as she did when she had her favorite blue sweatshirt on…
