My husband gave me a surprise gift for Christmas—a gift that, at the time, seemed odd. It was something I never would have chosen for myself and would never have expected him to give me.

He gave me a little bird, a cute, colourful conure.

She was bitey at first, but she quickly became the sweetest, snuggliest, most beautiful little creature, and she brightened up every day. I looked forward every morning to her crawling under the collar of my bathrobe for a warm cuddle and a chirp in my ear.

A few months ago, I never would have imagined myself owning a bird, but now she had wrapped her little self firmly around my heart.

A couple days ago, she seemed a little off, not quite herself. She was struggling to fly. So, I brought her to the vet, and she was much more ill than I could have imagined. It was touch and go, but she made it through the night. After a couple days of slow improvement, when it was starting to look like she was almost out of the woods, we lost her quite suddenly.

I was devastated. I cried all the way to the vet to collect her little body. This tiny, chirpy weirdo had become such a huge part of my life, and suddenly she was gone.

When I walked into the clinic, I saw a woman with a girl, who must have been around 12 years old. I didn’t want to upset the girl, so I tried to be quiet while talking to the woman behind the counter. However, it was clear why I was there.

They brought my little conure out in the travel cage I’d brought her in. She was placed in a felt pouch, with a flower tied to it with a ribbon. There was no mistaking why I was there. I settled my bill, while wiping tears off my cheeks.

When I turned around to leave, I was surprised to see that there was the girl, standing in front of me. She looked me right in the eyes with a look of sincere compassion and asked me if I wanted a hug.

I broke down on her shoulder, because that’s exactly what I needed. It was the kindest gesture that I’d never expected.

So, thank you, young girl. You warmed my heart so much today. I just want you to know that I appreciate you.