Chapter 30

When Ava opened the back door to the backyard, the afternoon summer breeze hit Gale in the face. He looked in awe at the entire setting of the yard.

A small flower garden adorns the right side of the yard - stretching all the way from the porch to the fences that separate the yard from the small road.

On the left side of the yard, there was a long picnic table that was perfectly placed under the shade.

What had him amazed was the amur maple tree that grew right in the middle of the yard. The height was between two to three meters, give or take. The samaras on the tree are bright red and green. Gale has a strange attraction to every maple tree. He was familiar with almost all of them and can tell one from the other.

Gale now understands what Alex told him in the woods – why they played in the backyard when they got bored watching cartoons. The backyard was very beautiful and a perfect place for children to play.  What he couldn't figure out was