She handed Aunt Kathy her tea, then pulled an old vinyl-and-crome kitchen chair over close to Kathy's rocker. The two women sat for a few minutes in comfortable silence, drinking their tea.

"Oh look, the mustard's a'wavin' at us." Aunt Kathy gestured toward the little patch of mustard greens, now gone to flower, that grew along the barbed wire fence that separated the front yard from the pasture. There was just enough breeze to make them sway and nod.

"They act like they are as glad to see you back as you are to be here," Sharon replied, "As glad as we all are to see you home."

"And there is nobody happier than me. They was real nice down there at the nursing home, but that is no place to live. It was right depressin', bein' around all those old people who live there now, who know they'll finish out their days there. Real depressin'. A lot of 'em don't have homes to go back to, even if they could. Had to be sold to pay for the care and to get the Medicaid to kick in. Thanks to you, I didn't have to worry about that."

Sharon looked puzzled. "Waht do you mean?"

"Nevermind, I'll tell you later. I want to enjoy my porch now, before it gets too cool for me to stay out."

Sharon opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. Aunt Kathy would say what she needed to say, when she needed to say. If an explanation was needed, Sharon knew aunt Kathy would give it. They lapsed back into silence. The male wren had decided he could handle the two women as long as the cat was gone, and had resumed his nest-building. The female stayed out in the yard, but was showing renewed interest in the brassy little male.