The woman crouched down, her heart aching as she took in the little girl’s words. The other girl remained quiet, her eyes still focused on the horse. For a moment, the world seemed to stop. The horse, sensing the sudden shift in mood, snorted softly and stamped its hoof, breaking the tension.

The woman swallowed hard, her mind racing. She had seen grief in many forms but never like this—a child who had lost so much, yet still clung to memories of her father through the simplest of things, like a horse.

“I’m sorry, sweetie,” the woman said, her voice gentle but firm. “But sometimes, we hold on to the love, and it never truly goes away. Maybe this horse doesn’t remember, but you will always carry that love inside you.”

The little girl’s face softened, her grip on the fence loosening. “I know,” she whispered, a quiet strength in her words.

The woman stood, watching the two girls, who now seemed lighter, even as they stood in the presence of their loss.

The lesson? Even in the face of heartbreak, the love we carry can heal, offering strength we never knew we had.