Task

As always, Pat listened patiently to her elderly eccentric neighbor. 

"You know why? I don't. Measure our life by birthdays. Makes no sense when you're nearly a year old after getting born. Right? I count by summers. Eight-nine summers! Anyway, thanks for the cake, and happy birthday, dear."

That was the last slice to deliver to neighbors, as she walked back to her Craftsman-style bungalow, completing her own annual task.

That's who Pat has always been. Her birthday comes around, she's up the night before baking a cake for others. Always her best gift.

But now, her thoughts turned to a certain long-tailed backyard resident, also having a birthday. Soon, her old buddy squirrel scooted across the wooden fence, looking for her.

Pat placed some cake crumbs nearby, but the critter wasn't at all interested. But then the squirrel's tail stood straight up at the sight of the shelled nuts Pat pulled out of her pocket. Her special day had started well.