A Fable About Loss

There once was an eagle and a fox who fell in love.
In the beginning they spent countless hours together.
The fox would run and trot and leap.
The eagle would swoop and dive and glide.
They spent time in the forest where the fox lived.
They spent time on the mountain where the eagle lived.
And they were happy.
For a time.
One day the fox asked the eagle to stay in the forest.
The fox wanted cubs and a den to warm.
The eagle tried for a time.
But missed the mountain air.
And the tops of trees.
And the caress of the wind.
And the kiss of the sun.
And the shade of the cliffs.
And the open expanse of the bright blue sky.
The sky most of all.
Time passed.
One day the call of the sky became too great.
And the eagle flew off never to return.