Disclaimer: The Secret Garden, all characters, places, and related terms belong to Frances Hodgson Burnett and Hallmark.
Diminished
Dickon was tending the roses when Mary came up to him, her face filled with excitement. He stood up when she reached him.
"Look, Dickon!" she said, lifting up her hand.
The boy looked at her a second before he obligingly glanced down at her hand. Cradled in the palm of her hand was a lovely silver necklace. It shone in the sunlight.
"It is very pretty, Miss Mary," he said with a smile.
"Aye," she agreed. "Colin gave it to me. He ordered it from a catalogue." The girl's eyes sparkled brightly. "No one has ever given me such a wonderful gift."
The boy's only reply was a nod.
"I shall always wear it," Mary went on. She looked up from admiring her necklace to Dickon. "Could you help me, please?"
While she undid the clasp, Dickon cleaned his hands on his trousers. He watched the girl put the chain about her neck and turned her back to him, firmly holding the ends of the chain. Taking them from her, he hooked the ends together after the third try.
"There," he said quietly, stepping back.
Mary gave him a bright smile as she resumed facing him. "Thank you, Dickon." She brushed her hand over the locket.
"You are welcome, Miss Mary."
With a wave of her hand, the girl skipped off to rejoin Colin.
Dickon could not identify the strange, unfamiliar weight that settled in the pit of his stomach as he gazed after Mary. What he did know as he returned to his work was that the roses did not seem to smell as sweet, the robin did not sing as cheerfully, nor did the sky seem as clear and bright as before.
The garden lost some of its magic that day.
THE END