Nicole was in a cozy courtyard at the foot of the hills, trying her hand at knitting. She aimed to knit Roscoe a soft cashmere scarf.

She had chosen a soft, misty blue for the yarn, a color that complemented him well, understated, pure, yet unique.

As she knitted in the courtyard, a bird perched on the wall and began to caw miserably.

Nicole felt disturbed by the noise and tried to scare it off.

But the bird seemed oblivious to her and continued to caw sorrowfully.

Growing more nervous, Nicole tossed a pebble at it. The bird flapped away in response, leaving behind a single feather.

Nicole gazed at the feather, a wave of discomfort swelling within her.

She walked back and forth, trying to soothe her nerves.

Suddenly, a furry little animal brushed against her legs.

Looking down, Nicole saw it was Keith, who seemed to sense her distress and wagged his tail energetically to comfort her.

Watching Keith reminded her of Roscoe's routine talks during his feeding, and gradually, her anxiety lessened.

She returned to her seat and resumed knitting the scarf, her fingers moving quickly.

This was the first present she had made for Roscoe, and she was keen for him to try it on soon.

It was still daylight when Roscoe got back. He had traveled to town to fetch a rare herb beneficial for Nicole's health.

He had made a deal with the town's pharmacy to buy whatever herb they had, even braving the bad weather to get it. That was exactly what he accomplished today.

Upon entering, Roscoe saw Nicole had moved from outdoors to beside the campfire, still working on the scarf.

She had put on a bit of weight, and though she was still lean, she no longer looked as gaunt.

The firelight lit up her face, making her appear lively and beautiful.

The sight of her knitting was deeply heartwarming.

Roscoe walked over, gently took the yarn from Nicole's hands, and handed her a plum blossom cake. Then, he playfully quipped, “You're supposed to practice just a little each day. Did you push yourself too hard today?"