Holly was curious when he leaned in to kiss her cheek. It was a strange gesture that she didn't understand until he had explained. It was still so painful to see him go, and she knew she'd spend another night in the forest, alone. Holly tried to smile, the gesture was kind. She liked kind.

When Tarek began to walk away, Holly opened her mouth to call out to him, hoping that maybe she could convince him to stay. But Tarek was set in his ways and she certainly wasn't going to leave the forest, not with those mean humans out there in the village. Holly wouldn't be safe out there, so she'd remain in the forest alone, if that's what it took.

Holly's bottom lip started to quiver a little as she watched Tarek disappear into the thick shadows of the forest. She fought back tears as she finally saw that he was gone. Out of habit, she drew her tail up and around her arm and began to twist it a little with her hands. She missed him already. He made her question whether all of the humans were bad or not. Maybe they weren't. But did that change her mind about leaving the forest? No. Holly would remain here, even if she would be by herself.

She hung her head low as she wandered over to a fallen tree and she sat on it, still staring off in the direction where Tarek had disappeared. She'd wait for him here. It was the. That Holly decided she liked his gesture. She liked kind.