Dripping water, flowing water, splashing water. Winter’s blanket of snow and ice was finally beginning to melt. White was fading away to expose the grays and browns that had been hidden beneath. Little green buds were appearing all over. Crowds of bright flowers were rising up from the dirt. And soon the island would be bursting with rich scents and colors. At long last it was spring.
The lodgers returned to their own homes. The hibernators emerged from their secret places. Roz roamed across the island and checked in with the beavers and the bears and all the friends she’d missed. Then the robot went home to work in her garden. After the bitterest winter anyone could recall, life was slowly returning to normal.