In the gully the spring peepers were singing up a storm, their way of courting. An owl called, a fox barked, a mockingbird trilled a few notes. Ordinary sounds, sounds I'd heard all my life. I snuggled closer to Avery, safe at least for now. Hard Times lay behind me, Hard Times lay ahead. But at that moment, peace settled on me as gentle as moonlight shining on the mountains and fields of home.
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About the Author
MARY DOWNING HAHN is a former children's librarian and the author of the Scott O'Dell Award novel Stepping on the Cracks, as well as numerous other critically acclaimed books for young readers. She lives in Columbia, Maryland.
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