Waiting for Chicken Smith

A boy returns each year with his family to the same beach cabin, where he expects to find Chicken Smith, Chicken’s dad, and their dog Jelly nearby. This time, Chicken has not arrived, and the closed windows, long grass, and absent bike at the neighboring cabin deepen the narrator’s worry. Preoccupied with waiting, he dismisses his sister’s invitations until they share an experience together that changes where he directs his attention.