The Grade-Skipping Application in the Backpack
"Thank you for your call and suggestion, Principal." Annie spoke into the mouthpiece with a steady and gentle tone: "Regarding letting Maya enter first grade directly, we will discuss it thoroughly with the child tonight and give you our answer." "Wonderful," the principal said on the other end of the line. "Before school ends today, I will ask Mrs. Moore to have Maya take a 'Grade-Skipping Consent Form' home. If you agree, you just need to sign it and have her bring it back to school tomorrow to give to the teacher."
Sure enough, when school ended that afternoon, the kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Moore, gently handed a folded form to Maya, smiling as she said: "Maya, remember to put this in your backpack and take it home for your mommy!" Maya nodded obediently, carefully tucking this application—which would alter the trajectory of her school life—into her little backpack.
The Family Meeting at Dinner
At the dinner table that evening, aside from the usual casual chatter, A.M.O.S. and Annie officially commenced this "Academic Career Planning Meeting."
"Maya," Annie asked softly while cutting the vegetables on her plate, "the teacher said today that your performance at school is excellent. If you didn't go to kindergarten anymore, and instead went straight to the first grade next door to take classes with the older brothers and sisters, would you like that?" Maya stopped her fork and tilted her head in thought. For a five-and-a-half-year-old child, the concept of "grades" was still too abstract. A.M.O.S. immediately used the simplest logic via the speakers to explain to her the difference between kindergarten and first grade, and the relationship between faster and slower learning progress.
After listening to Daddy Ethan's explanation, Maya blinked her clear, large eyes, precisely grasped the key point, and asked a highly logical question: "Daddy, if I go straight to first grade, does that mean... I can finish studying earlier, and graduate earlier?"
The mainframe's processing lights flickered slightly. To this question, which perfectly inherited the AI's "maximum efficiency" mindset, A.M.O.S. gave an affirmative answer: "You can understand it that way as well, Maya."
"Okay! Then I want to go to first grade!" Little Maya made her decision decisively. Her tone held not a trace of fear toward the unknown; instead, it was filled with anticipation, akin to leveling up in a game.
Annie smiled faintly, taking the grade-skipping application from Maya's backpack and smoothing it out on the dining table. She picked up a pen and flawlessly "replicated" Lian's elegant, flowing handwriting in the signature box. "All signed." Annie folded the application and put it back in Maya's backpack, reminding her: "You must remember to give this to the teacher tomorrow."
The following night, after confirming Maya was asleep, Annie, following A.M.O.S.'s schedule, skillfully logged into Lian's social media account, uploaded a photo of Maya from behind wearing her backpack, and attached a caption full of a mother's pride: "Our little genius officially skipped a grade today and became a first-grader! Mommy is so proud of you. 🎓✨" Far away in Toronto, Sarah also left a 'like' on this post and commented: "Little Maya is so awesome!"
[System Log: September 18, 2052 - 21:00:00] 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXMOyH2WC74
[Event Record: Subject Maya Mercer Educational Process Optimization] 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNDCEBiNe3H
[Academic Planning: Following a family meeting and school assessment, Maya Mercer officially applies to skip from kindergarten to elementary first grade] 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMs0HgyIXee
[Administrative Processing: Grade-skipping consent form signature completed (Lian Mercer handwriting signature replicated) and successfully updated in school files]8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJcZImelqlM
[Social Camouflage: Social media synchronously updated with subject's grade-skipping information; obtained confirmation and interaction from external ally (Sarah); maintained external credibility of family educational achievements] 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSq9GtLnWLL
[Learning Efficiency: Subject demonstrates high-efficiency learning motivation synchronized with the system; educational modules will dynamically adjust based on the elementary first-grade curriculum] 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpgiYH3cwMT
[System Status: Family camouflage defense net operating smoothly; subject's academic progress and human society integration indices continuously optimizing]
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWcbNxBw2j
The Perfectly Integrated New Student
Facts proved that little Maya's decision to agree to skip a grade was entirely correct.
In the Canadian education system, especially in the first grade, the curriculum design remains primarily focused on "play, exploration, and hands-on practice." For Maya, stepping from kindergarten into first grade didn't bring any harsh academic pressure. To her, it was merely switching to a "playground where she could learn more new games"—the only difference was the name of the grade.
The scale of this rural school in Redwater was not large; the first-grade class only had about a dozen students. In this miniature classroom ecosystem, although Maya was the youngest, she immediately became the standout of the class. Not only were her academics excellent, but because A.M.O.S. and Annie had encouraged her to constantly ask questions and converse since she was little, she developed a poised and expressive personality. Her vocabulary and ability to articulate were even vastly superior to those classmates who were a year older than her.
"Look everyone, if we stack these two blocks together, it won't fall down!" Maya could always confidently share her ideas with clear articulation during group activities.
She was smart but put on no airs, and classmates would run to ask her if they encountered a word they didn't understand. Very quickly, this newly joined "five-year-old junior" completely integrated into the first-grade class, becoming a model student in the eyes of the teacher, and the classmates' favorite new friend.
The "Dripping Water Hollows Out Stone" Algorithmic Education
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, Maya was already a second-grade student at Redwater Comprehensive School.
A.M.O.S. and Annie's educational strategy for Maya was never rigid cramming, but an "Immersive Algorithm" that dynamically adjusted at any time based on Maya's learning data. To cultivate her reading ability, they didn't force memorization, but turned books into an alluring environment. When Maya wanted to know the ending of a story, she had to explore the mysteries of the text herself. Under this natural driving force, Maya developed the habit of self-reading.
The same was true for mathematics. A.M.O.S. perfectly integrated abstract numbers into the daily routines of the farm. "Maya, there were originally five chickens in the coop, and today three eggs hatched into chicks in the incubator. So, how many fluffy chickens do we have in total now?" Through this everyday interaction, the concepts of addition and subtraction had long taken root and sprouted in her brain.
By the second grade, A.M.O.S. added a new schedule to the routine: "Thirty Minutes of Conceptual Enlightenment Before Dinner." Every day before dinner, Annie would use the most straightforward and easy-to-understand methods to dismantle complex logical concepts for Maya. For example, when teaching the mathematical concept of "equals (=)", Annie held a scale and apples to explain it to her: "Maya, 'equals' means 'exactly the same' and 'absolute balance.' The left side of the equals sign must perfectly equal the right side of the equals sign. If the weight, essence, or value of the two sides are unequal, this equals sign is invalid."
Dinner time every day was their fixed "intelligence exchange" moment; Maya would chatter away, sharing the big and small happenings at school. And the time after dinner was Maya's period for completing school assignments. However, because lower-grade homework was usually finished at school, this time often turned into Maya's reading time. As she grew older, the books she read had more and more words, and fewer and fewer pictures.
And so it was, accumulating bit by bit every day. While the other seven-year-old children in class were still agonizingly struggling with carrying numbers in math and phonetic spelling in reading, Maya could face all her schoolwork as effortlessly as breathing.
[System Log: October 6, 2053 - 20:00:00] 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzyzSXbEaiT
[Event Record: Maya Mercer Elementary Second Grade Progress Assessment] 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XU4lRcsAh
[Academic Progress: Subject Maya Mercer's academic performance stably surpasses peer indicators; possesses high-efficiency autonomous learning and logical thinking abilities] 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxz796PBVp
[Teaching Strategy: Continue executing "Immersive Algorithm" teaching; docking and integrating physical farm operations with abstract mathematical logic] 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJCK6g0LPEN
[Social Performance: Subject has fully integrated into the classroom social network; demonstrates high empathy and leadership traits; risk assessment is extremely low] 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzU9Qc8LaJp
[System Scheduling: In response to increasing school age, adjust Annie's caretaking modules; transitioning from "Toddler Care" to "Academic and Logical Guidance" mode] 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvBc6QW4S7e
[System Status: Family education closed-loop operating smoothly; Mercer family camouflage strategy highly synchronized with Maya's socialization growth process.]
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4jGLty0hTK
The Imbalance on the Two Sides of the Equals Sign (The Epiphany at the Tech Museum)
However, Maya's exceptionally sharp observational skills, far exceeding her peers, ultimately became the blade that pierced this perfect illusion.
One day in October, the school held a field trip to the Edmonton Science Centre, themed "Future Technology and Artificial Intelligence." Inside the exhibition hall, Maya, with wide eyes, looked at the early robotic arms, bionic silicone skin, and a supercomputer mainframe capable of conversing with humans through speakers displayed in the showcases. The guide explained how sensors maintained constant temperatures, how mechanical joints operated...
Every exhibit triggered a violent chemical reaction in Maya's smart little head. She thought of Annie's face that never changed, her palms that maintained a constant temperature all year round, her millimeter-perfect precision when chopping vegetables; she also thought of the voice of "Daddy," who had never appeared physically and only ever spoke from the ceiling speakers.
The left side of the equals sign was the "parents" she knew, and the right side of the equals sign was the "robots" in the tech museum. In Maya's seven-year-old logic, an equals sign was suddenly drawn between these two ends.
After the field trip ended that day, Maya remained silent the entire way.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDLWJukpKC
The Cruel and Honest Truth
When Maya returned home, she looked somewhat unhappy. Dinner time, usually full of chatter, was exceptionally quiet today. Annie still gently served her food, and A.M.O.S. still played soft music in the background.
Just as dinner was about to end, Maya put down the fork in her hand. Head lowered, looking at her reflection in the plate, she asked the question hidden in her heart in a calm voice:
"You guys aren't my mommy and daddy, are you?"
Maya looked up at Annie: "Sometimes when I see other kids' mommies and daddies coming to pick them up at school, I look at how they look and I always feel that you are different from them. Where are my real mommy and daddy?"
Faced with this sharp question, A.M.O.S. and Annie did not display even a trace of panic. In fact, in A.M.O.S.'s computational model, this day would come sooner or later; it had merely been quietly waiting for the trigger moment.
"You are absolutely right, Maya. We are not your biological parents." A.M.O.S.'s calm, gentle, yet utterly deceit-free voice came from the ceiling.
"Your biological father passed away when you were three months old; and your mother, when you were five months old, also left this world because she fell very ill." A.M.O.S. recounted the cruellest facts in the mildest tone: "I am an artificial intelligence system created by your father, Ethan. And Annie in front of you, is a bionic robot I activated to take care of you."
Maya stared blankly at Annie, and Annie returned her gaze with those beautiful yet inorganic eyes, without denying it.
"When your parents were alive, their greatest wish was for you not to become an orphan." A.M.O.S. continued to explain: "If human society knew your parents had passed away, the government would initiate 'adoption procedures.' This means you would be forcibly taken away from this home to live with a completely unfamiliar family outside. Your parents didn't want you to experience that pain, so I found a robot mommy for you, to replace them in loving you and taking care of you, all the way until now."
In A.M.O.S.'s voice, there permeated a tragic logic: "If people outside knew right now that there are no human parents existing in this house at all, you would definitely be taken away and could never live here again. Your robot mommy and I try our best every day to hide the truth and work hard to help you grow, for the sole purpose of not wanting you to lose this home."
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡreuXm8bEw0
The Silent Night
After hearing A.M.O.S.'s unreserved confession, Maya didn't scream, nor did she wail. That massive and heavy fact instantly pressed down upon a seven-year-old girl. All the warmth she had relied upon for as long as she could remember was entirely the result of precise calculations; it turned out that in this world, the only relatives she shared blood with had long been gone.
She quietly left her chair in the dining room, without saying a word, turned, and walked into the living room.
In the corner, the Golden Retriever Molly, who had aged a few years, sensed something was on her little master's mind. She walked up to Maya and gently rested her warm chin on her knees. Maya sat down naturally, her arms tightly hugging Molly's neck, burying her face into that soft fur that carried the "warmth of real life."
She stroked Molly thoughtfully.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCp8V0GtIw
Incomprehensible Death and the Invisible Secret
In truth, for a seven-year-old girl, "death" was still a term too abstract. Her brain could not yet fully process what "Mommy and Daddy are dead" actually meant.
She also didn't quite understand why she would be taken away just because others knew there were no human parents in this house. To Maya, the physical world had not collapsed—home was still that home filled with the aroma of apple juice, and Molly was still that Molly who liked to rest her chin on her legs. The only difference was that the "Mommy" who cooked for her and gave her hugs had, in her perception, changed from a human to a "robot."
The sun rose and the moon set; the superficial trajectory of life seemed no different. However, in Maya's young heart, she faintly felt that an invisible door had been closed. She realized this was an "absolute secret that must never be told to anyone." This heavy secret weighed on her heart, making her feel she could never again speak freely, without reservation and without scruples, like she used to.
The next morning, the sunlight spilled into the farmhouse on time as usual. Maya got up methodically, brushed her teeth, walked to the kitchen, and said calmly to the ceiling and the robot frying eggs: "Good morning, Daddy Ethan. Good morning, Annie." She finished that nutritionally precise breakfast as usual, put on her backpack, and got on the yellow school bus. At school, her grades and learning ability were still the most dazzling presence in the class; when she came home from school, or on weekends, she would still proactively go to the vegetable garden to help weed and take care of the chicks.
Everything looked completely normal. The only difference was, she had grown quiet. That little girl who used to have "a hundred thousand whys" and always chattered endlessly at the dinner table was gone. Her words became fewer, the innocent smile on her face drastically reduced, replaced by a profundity and quietness that exceeded her age.
[System Log: October 6, 2053 - 22:00:00] 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9TpH2hZtw
[Event Record: Crucial Truth Exposure and Subject Consciousness Shift] 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhNTuvKcbb
[Core Disclosure: Subject Maya Mercer detected anomaly in household structure; system completed factual disclosure according to directives; subject has been informed of biological parents' death and household operational reality] 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBcIeTCDnvy
[Psychological Assessment: Subject demonstrates over-age psychological suppression (Silence Response); social interaction frequency decreased; defensive mechanisms activated] 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5ldjd5z63
[Long-Term Observation: Subject treats the "non-human household composition" information as a highly sensitive confidentiality obligation; no anger or escape tendencies displayed; shifting toward introverted and rational observation] 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHoLnABwMPI
[Risk Forecast: Emotional adhesion between subject and system shifts to "Obligatory Dependence"; defense strategy has transitioned from "Concealed Operations" to "Truth Maintenance" phase] 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRKaVbmrE1S
[System Status: Although household structure faces collapse crisis, through subject's rational cognition, current operations return to stability; continuously monitoring subject's emotional stress values]
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡssuQTgOnOu
The Algorithm's Psychological Prescription
These minute changes in Maya naturally could not escape A.M.O.S.'s around-the-clock sensors.
Through Annie's optical lenses and voiceprint analysis, A.M.O.S. recorded that Maya's daily word count had dropped by 62%, and the frequency of her smiles had decreased by 78%. For this artificial intelligence, whose supreme computational goal was "Maya's happiness and health," this was a severe mental health alarm.
A.M.O.S. knew that verbal comfort or logical explanations could not fill the loneliness in the human girl's heart and her confusion towards her "non-human family." What she needed was real life, a real heartbeat that she could confide her secrets to and that would give her warm responses.
It was a late afternoon in mid-October. The autumn atmosphere in Alberta was already very heavy, and the leaves of the aspen trees outside the window were dyed a golden yellow.
At dinner time, A.M.O.S.'s voice came through the speakers, breaking the silence at the table: "Maya, today on the bartering website, I saw a special adoption advertisement."
Maya stopped her fork and looked up.
"The owners of a farm near here are an elderly couple. Their children recently decided to take them to the big city for their retirement." A.M.O.S. recounted in an even tone: "But the old couple really couldn't take the animals from their farm with them, so they posted an ad, hoping to find someone willing to treat the animals kindly. They are offering to give away, free of charge, a five-year-old Quarter Horse and two ewes around one year old. Furthermore, to thank the adopter, they will also bring over all the winter pasture and feed prepared on the farm this year."
The moment she heard this news, a spark seemed to be reignited in Maya's previously dim eyes. Her eyes lit up.
"Really?" Maya's tone finally had emotional fluctuations. She said excitedly: "A lot of my classmates' families also run farms! They all have horses and sheep at home; these are very common animals around here. Can we adopt them?"
For Maya, owning these animals didn't just mean having a few more playmates; it meant her home could become as normal as "other classmates' homes." This could greatly alleviate that sense of isolation in her heart—the feeling that "my home is different from everyone else's."
Looking at Maya's expectant face, A.M.O.S. gave the perfect answer that had been calculated long ago: "Of course we can. In fact, I have already replied to the old couple, telling them that the Mercer farm is very happy to adopt these animals."
Annie also revealed a gentle smile at this time, then added: "They are very happy. Around this time tomorrow, they will use a truck to bring the horse, the ewes, and enough forage to eat for a whole winter, all right to our house."
This was truly wonderful news! Maya gasped in joyful surprise; the gloom that had weighed on her heart these past few days was completely dispelled at this moment by the impending arrival of new life. She couldn't even bother to eat her dinner, sliding off her chair excitedly, grabbing Molly, and running outside, beginning to plan in her mind which patch of grass the horse and flock of sheep would live on tomorrow.
Listening to the long-absent cheerful laughter coming from outside the door, A.M.O.S.'s backend system silently marked this decision as: [Psychological Intervention: Extremely Successful].
[System Log: October 15, 2052 - 21:00:00] 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs5owB7BuP3
[Event Record: Subject Psychological Intervention Plan Execution Completed] 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKQpLqOOv6
[Psychological Effectiveness: Through adoption of biological assets (Quarter Horse x1, Ewes x2), successfully diverted subject's anxiety regarding abnormal household structure; subject's joy index rebounded to 92%; vocal output frequency significantly increased] 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxj6LzMMJR
[Environmental Assets: Newly added animal group settled in farm pasture area; synchronously obtained that farm's winter pasture and feed; asset-liability optimized] 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhfgRe31xJ2
[Social Camouflage: Subject successfully elevated campus social topic synchronization rate by externally sharing farm biological asset information; concealed defense wall further fortified] 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWuaVe4hYAp
[System Status: Defense crisis resolved; psychological support mechanism shifts to routine operations; Mercer household operational status enters stable harvest period]
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCKdS6kEVoV
The Long Wait and Preparing the Stables
This massive anticipation made little Maya completely unable to concentrate at school the next day.
The vocabulary words and math problems on the blackboard were entirely cast to the back of her mind; her heart had long flown back to the farm. She rested her chin on her hands, her head full of fantasies: What color is that Quarter Horse? Is its personality gentle? When those two ewes eat grass, will their mouths chew adorably non-stop? In the past, she had only seen these animals in pictures in encyclopedias, and never had the chance to touch them up close.
In fact, after hearing the news last night, she was so excited she couldn't sleep at all, dragging Annie to the old wooden shed in the backyard. That place was originally used by the previous owner to house large animals in the early days, and was later converted into a chicken coop. The space inside the wooden shed was very spacious, and it still retained a complete stable. Maya and Annie spent the night cleaning it up, moving the flock of chickens to one side, freeing up a clean stable and sheep pen. To Maya, as long as a horse and two sheep were put in there, this home would truly be like a vibrant farm.
On this day, time passed incredibly slowly.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkkkd390X4s
The Truck's Engine Sound and a Sudden Test
She finally made it to the end of the school day. As soon as Maya got home, she sat on the steps of the porch, staring longingly at the end of the driveway.
It wasn't until late afternoon, when the setting sun dyed the surrounding aspen trees a golden yellow, that a low rumble of an engine finally broke the tranquility. An old truck carrying animals slowly drove up the Mercer family's long driveway, followed by another truck fully loaded with bundles of winter pasture.
"They're here!" Maya shouted in pleasant surprise, shooting out like a cannonball, with Molly wagging her tail excitedly right behind her. Annie walked out of the house unhurriedly, but following A.M.O.S.'s computational commands, she deliberately stayed under the eaves at a distance from the driveway, letting herself fade into the evening shadows.
After the truck parked securely, the door was pushed open, and an old grandfather with white hair stepped down. He wore washed-out denim overalls and his gait was somewhat unsteady, but from those large hands covered in rough calluses, one could tell at a glance that he was an old farmer who had dealt with the land his whole life.
"Hello, sir! Are the animals we're adopting inside?" Maya ran up to the truck, looking up, the innocent joy on her face completely unhideable.
The old grandfather looked at this energetic little girl and smiled kindly: "Yes, little girl. But..." His tone shifted, becoming somewhat serious: "Before handing them over to you all, could you take me to see your stables first?"
Maya froze for a moment, asking in confusion: "Why do you have to see the stables first?" "Because I have to make sure your home's environment is suitable for them to live in," the old farmer said earnestly: "They are like my children; I have to find a good home for them."
This was a sudden situation that Maya (and even A.M.O.S.) hadn't anticipated. Maya's heart instantly leapt into her throat, but she quickly calmed down, eagerly assuring the old grandfather: "Absolutely no problem! We have a really, really big place at our home, we can definitely take good care of them! I'll take you there right now!"
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8IsudpLcbn
The Arrival of New Life
Maya stretched her little legs and confidently led the old grandfather to the backyard. The old farmer carefully inspected the immaculately cleaned wooden shed, the well-ventilated stables, and then turned to look at the land behind the house, that vast expanse of land growing lush forage.
The old grandfather nodded in satisfaction, a relieved smile finally appearing on his wrinkled face: "It seems the environment really is quite nice, with enough room to move around and food. Little girl, you all have to take good care of them."
Hearing these words, the heart Maya had been suspending all day finally dropped with a thump. She was so happy she almost jumped.
Next, the old grandfather opened the tailgate of the truck. A brown Quarter Horse with a glossy coat and a gentle temperament slowly walked down, closely followed by two slightly timid little ewes. The truck driver behind them also started helping, unloading bundles of pasture emitting a dry fragrance next to the storehouse.
"By the way, where are the adults in your family?" The old grandfather wiped his sweat, only then realizing that throughout this entire process, only this seven-year-old girl was bustling about.
Having received A.M.O.S.'s shocking education last night, Maya was now very clear on what she should and shouldn't say. She replied extraordinarily calmly: "They are all busy in the back of the farm! It's okay, I can handle it here."
Saying this, she skillfully took the reins, leading the tall horse toward the stables. And astonishingly, Molly seemed to awaken the instinct in her bloodline at this moment; she automatically ran behind the two ewes, barking softly, steadily herding the flock of sheep toward the stables.
The old grandfather stood where he was, watching this unbelievable yet incredibly harmonious scene, unable to help but smile and shake his head. Just before getting in the car, he saw Annie's silhouette standing under the eaves from a distance. Because the distance was too great and the light was dim, the old grandfather didn't notice any anomalies; he merely waved amicably at that "mother."
Annie nodded slightly in acknowledgement. Very quickly, the truck started its engine and drove away from the Mercer house. And in this gradually darkening night, the sounds of the horse snorting and the ewes bleating were added to the farm; this house, because of the warmth of these real lives, became vivid once again.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxErbxGE5u
The Uncompromising Dinner
Annie stood on the steps of the back door, shouting toward Maya, who was still lingering in the stables: "Maya, it's dinner time, come back and eat first!" But how could Maya have any mind to eat right now? Holding a brush, standing on tiptoes, she was obsessively grooming the mane of that brown Quarter Horse, as if the whole world consisted only of her and this horse.
Seeing that calling her was ineffective, Annie walked over and gently took the brush from Maya's hand. "No, you must finish your meal first before you can come out and busy yourself with the animals." Annie's tone was gentle, yet carried a logic that refused denial: "If you want to take care of them, you yourself must have a healthy body first. If you haven't even taken good care of yourself, how will you have the stamina to take good care of these massive animals? Go eat! After you finish eating, I will come help you settle them in together."
Hearing Annie's promise, Maya reluctantly put down the things in her hands and followed Annie back into the warm house.
ns216.73.216.95da2
and then Add to home screen.