“Excellent. I’ve always wanted to meet a real live chicken.”
“You’ve never seen one before?” Chloe gasped.
“No. Never. I’ve never actually seen a cow in person either. Well, no,
not really. Not up close. I’ve never touched one. Do you have cows?”
“There are cows!” Chloe picked up steam. “And pigs. Meemaw has
goats too, but Peepaw hates those. There are mostly lots of cows. That’s
what they do. But Meemaw keeps other animals for eating.”
Christina turned and gave Taylor an uncertain look. Taylor just nodded.
“It’s true. Chloe was born in Au
stin, but she spent her first years until a few
months ago living out there. There isn’t anything she doesn’t know about
how it operates. Even the more gruesome bits.”
“That’s what Meemaw always said!” Chloe agreed. “That Mom hates
that we have to eat the animals.”
“I guess I made my peace about the cows— poor things— but I never
got used to eating the animals that I cared for.”
“I don’t know that I could either.”
“My mom always asked me what I thought was in the grocery stores,
because if they didn’t do it, that’s where they’d be getting it from, but it
wasn’t much easier knowing that.”
“No. I imagine not.”
“My parents are very practical. They’ve helped me raise Chloe that
way.”
“I do chores,” Chloe said. “I could show you how to do them too.
Meemaw always said that I could shovel more poo than she could.”
Taylor laughed. “My mom often encouraged Chloe to help with that as
part of her chores. Cleaning out the stalls. Chloe was always up to the task.
She’s particularly good with a shovel. I usually complained, even though I
was helpful with other chores. I wasn’t enthusiastic about it like she is.”
“I can’t wait to get there and help,” Chloe confirmed.