Page 10 of Schooling Little Sage

I shrugged. “Never had any but I love turtles and butterflies and dogs and cats. I love all animals, I think.”

Master Arlo smiled. “That’s good to hear. We have lots of bunnies too. Would you like to hold one?”

I couldn’t keep my excitement contained if I tried. Warner placed a small black and white one in my arms. “It’s so soft. Hello, bunny.”

“That’s Thumper. He’s a sweetie pie.”

Thumper’s tiny nose wiggled and I copied him. “Nice to meet you, Thumper.” I ran my fingers through his super soft fur. “This is so cool.”

“Feel free to come on by whenever you’re not working and play with them. They love the attention.”

“I’m the boss!” Bossy P squawked again.

“Ya, ya, ya.” Master Arlo rolled his eyes. “You’re the boss, we got it. Ignore him.”

“How much does it cost, or do I use my card thingy to get in when I come here?” I wanted to make sure I had enough money to visit.

“It’s free. No need to swipe your card,” Master Arlo said. “But if you come at feeding time, be prepared to help.”

“I’d love to, just tell me when.”

I carried Thumper all the way through the tour past the chickens, pigs, and cows, then came the goats. “Are they wearing pajamas?”

“That they are. They tend to get cold when the sun sets.”

“That is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.” One of them rolled over, legs in the air when a bird flew by. “Oh. My. God. Is he okay?”

Arlo chuckled. “Yes. That numbskull is terrified of birds and passes out every time he sees one. That’s our drama king, Clancy.”

I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or be concerned. I knew what it felt like to be scared and it wasn’t fun.

“Over there is our resident peacock, Percy.” Hearing his name, he fluffed up. His feathers were so beautiful. “He’s a pretty boy for sure.”

We watched the goats play until my stomach grumbled.

“That’s my cue to get Sage fed,” Warner said. “Thanks for the tour, Master Arlo. I’m sure he’ll become a regular here.”

Master Arlo took Thumper and placed him back in the pen with the others. “I look forward to seeing you around, Sage. You two have a wonderful dinner. I’ve got a menagerie to feed now.”

As the sun set, the outside lights around the Ranch came on while we walked back to the main building. “It’s so peaceful here.”

“Indeed, it is. How does pizza sound?”

“I love pizza. Especially pepperoni.”

“Pepperoni it is then. We’ll go through your phone together while we wait for them to make it.” We took a seat inside and Warner placed our order. A couple seconds later they brought him an iced tea and me something called a Shirley Temple with a cherry on top.

I took a sip of the pretty pink drink and almost sneezed when the bubbles tickled my nose. “This is nummy, thank you.”

“You’re very welcome. Let me show you how to use your phone.” We went through texting and how to get on the internet first. “Let’s add a contact. What’s your parents’ numbers?”

“I dunno.”

Warner stared at me. “How are you supposed to get ahold of them?”

I shrugged. “Guess I’m not supposed to. They dropped me off with barely a goodbye, so I think that was it.”

He rubbed his face. “I don’t know what to say. Do you at least have their new address?”