A half-mile down the road a squirrel and a crow lie dead in the middle of the street, both a bit flatter since more than a few cars have run them over. But when I saw the duo in the street yesterday as I drove home from work, I couldn’t help but imagine a story for those two creatures. Why were these animals together?

Squirrel hadn’t told his family or friends where he spent his afternoons, how he jumped from branch to branch finally end up on a power line three miles from his den. They didn’t ask, they were more concerned about the latest gossip sweeping the trees.

For Crow, escape was more difficult, as her family and friends could fly three miles rather easily. Crow just had to take her chances with the eyes in the the sky.

At last, Crow and Squirrel would arrive on their own power line, while both of their families back home prattled on about the latest gossip sweeping the trees and skies.

Crow, like a solo ballerina, danced on the wire, closer to the squirrel. While squirrel bent his head and crawled near. They were at last together. Squirrel buried his nose in her feathers and her black eyes glistened and blinked. She nuzzled his fur with her beak. Today she couldn’t help wrapping her wing around squirrel, tickling his taut legs. And maybe it was the joy of it all that caused Squirrel’s tail to swing towards the sky, brushing the power line above them just enough to complete the circuit.

Her wings were still wrapped around him when they fell, while back at their homes, each family chattered about the latest gossip sweeping the trees. Somewhere a squirrel had fallen in love with a crow.