Friends Now

When Bear and I arrived at the park, C_ and his family were already walking the measured path. Everybody waved greetings. The grandparents and C_'s daughter walked ahead. C_ and his wife followed slowly at a distance, conversing. I took Bear to an isolated section of the park to play retrieve. Bear knew instantly that a new friend was nearby. She took her ball and ran the quarter-mile to C_'s beautiful daughter. Today, the little girl was not afraid. She smiled broadly when Bear-Bear arrived at her feet. Bear danced around her, then fell in like a good soldier with the little troop. Still carrying the ball in her mouth, Bear-Bear walked along side the girl for a hundred feet or so. Occasionally, she would look up at the child for approval, which she was given. A few minutes later, I managed to catch up and draw Bear away for another round of retrieve-the-ball. I threw the ball toward the softball diamond. Bear scooped the ball up off the red-pebble infield after it had bounced a few times. She ran to the pitcher's mound and dropped the ball, then waited above it. We have briefly watched girl's softball probably a half-dozen occasions at this field. I had no idea that Bear was studying the game. Undoubtedly, she noticed that the players always, eventually, threw the ball to the person on the pitcher's mound.  No one was playing ball today, but Bear didn't appear to care. Perhaps she expected the little girl to come onto the field with her. Perhaps she had some dream in her head.