Excerpt

When it came to rebirth and renewal, no time or place on earth could possibly be better than springtime in the Appalachian Mountains.

Right then Clara could see far too much evidence of that glorious reality to dispute, no matter how much her beat-up heart might want to.

Traces of frost lingered on the still-bare branches of the oak tree closest to her house, but in its shadow, she spotted vivid purple crocuses peeking through the brown carpet of last year's leaves. The much smaller redbuds on the hillside hadn't quite put on their own purple show, but their branch tips were already thickening, getting ready to throw off their winter slumber.

The creek between Clara's perch on the flagstone patio and the early flowers ran heavy and loud, tinged a bit green from last week's snow. And still, she knew the weedy grass and wildflowers would spring up along that waterway before too many more days passed.

A determined metallic chip, chip let her know a pair of cardinals had ventured out into the morning with her. They landed on the huge round bird feeder only a few feet away but entirely out of reach to anything without wings. One brilliant red, the other a warm, rich gray, they provided a welcome contrast to the slate of the mountains and the deep blue sky.

She and Shawn had hung the massive glass and metal tower a few years ago, on a metal frame that rotated out over the sharp drop-off along the back of the patio. That and a series of bell-shaped plastic shields turned this feeder into their most successful squirrel-proofing design, much to the delight of what seemed like all the birds within a hundred miles.

The air had a warmer touch this morning than it had since September, back when Clara thought her marriage and her life in this house would be more or less the same after months of cold and quiet.

Not shirtsleeve weather by any means, but warm enough for her to sit outside with the sun on her face, waiting for two new four-legged arrivals.

Wondering whether they'd decide to stay.

Hoping they would.

That they'd bring the exuberance of two young rescued dogs to the early spring and summer this year, and the years to come.

But too afraid to let that hope take root. Not when the killing frost was still so nearby.

And yet, through her worries, wearing nothing more than jeans, a t-shirt, and a simple black hoodie felt like shedding her heavy winter scales.

As if she was the one with rising sap just under her skin, preparing to burst out with colorful flowers all over her body. Then put on her far lighter garments of green leaves that would feed and comfort her for the long, hot season to come.

Before long, the flamboyant yellow and white daffodils would take over the springtime display, and the heady fragrance of hyacinth would out-compete the delicate scent of awakening green. An amazing variety of birds would join the winter-hardy cardinals, swarming the feeder and demanding more than their fair share of the precious seeds, even though they'd spent months in a warmer place.

But for now, the gentle sights and smells and sounds were enough.

Partly because these earliest days were so fleeting, they were the most precious. Worth savoring like all the brief weeks of springtime in her corner of far southwestern Virginia.

Clara had firmly known how lucky she was to live right here her entire life, especially as kinder weather emerged from the deep freeze. Even her great good luck of traveling all over the world had done nothing at all to change how she felt.

All the world around her was slowly coming back to life, and she'd always looked forward to doing the same herself.