The rural cul-de-sac stands silent as a spring morning slowly creeps on. Any human soul awake is inside with a cup of coffee in their hands. Meanwhile, outside nature continues to run its course; bees visit clover fields, birds guard eggs while warding off intruders, and rabbits scurry through bushes and backyards.

A particular rabbit, Millie, knows this area like the back of her paw, knowing what areas have the best grass and the dangerous ones guarded by dogs and traps.

This morning, Millie heads straight for her favorite yard. She effortlessly squeezes through the wooden fence hole and enters a beautiful garden filled with flowers and herbs. As she wanders through the yard, rosemary, thyme, and parsley aromas fill her tiny nose. Today, though, this rabbit is only interested in one herb.

Chamomile, the soothing herbal flower with creamy white petals and a golden yolk center. To people, it’s a common tea ingredient used to soothe nerves and make the most hyperactive person crave a nap after drinking a cup. For rabbits, it is holy, something more precious than an entire vegetable garden worth of food. Many risk their lives if only to nibble on a piece of it, tangling with dogs, snakes, and even humans with weapons. Why? Even among them it’s impossible to describe the irresistibility of this plant, but once eaten, they understand.

At last, Millie finds bunches of chamomiles in an old iron flowerpot. She scurries toward it and devours a mouthful of the blessed bounty. Contended crunches fill her ears for five minutes before it stops.

Millie stares ahead as the scene transforms into an outdoor ballroom. She sees the clover fields in front of her turn into stars and float away towards the grassy sky to form floral and herbal constellations. Cosmos flowers spin in the air with their partner honeybees in elegant waltzes. Different animals from the area like skunks, rabbits, squirrels, birds, and chipmunks join in the dances. They all wear formal attire made of nests, acorns, pecans, leaves, grass, and flora. The waltzing creatures enjoy themselves, although some have less dance skills than others. Millie watches them with envy in her twitching whiskers. She longs for someone to waltz with, to share this time with, to love even for one minute. All while songbirds sing in a chorus.

A mysterious voice calls from behind her. “ecnad siht evah I yaM?”

She turns around to see a handsome gray rabbit dressed in a maple leaf tuxedo offering his paw out for hers. Millie looks down and sees herself in a white and gold chamomile gown. Her cheeks redden with blushes, but the scent of her dress calms her down.

“!sey” she declares and puts her paw in his.

The bunnies step onto the dancefloor and enter the center. Light on their feet, they sway and move smooth as a newborn kitten’s bottom. Millie twirls like a spinning top while her partner holds them close together. The spectators applaud at the grace of these two long-eared dancers. With each spin, the scene dissolves into swift flashes.

Millie is caught up in the moment’s bliss and leans in for a kiss. Instead, she falls onto the grass, back in the real world. Her ears twitch at the sound of a door opening and she hops away from the yard to safety. She looks up at the clouds above resembling the clovers on the ground, and returns to the burrow with extra chamomile in her mouth for another dance.

Editor: Lucy Cafiero