Leo, an eager 8-year-old with tousled hair and bright eyes, stared intently at the alphabet book in front of him. His tongue poked out in concentration as he tried to decipher the letters on the page. Perched on the edge of the table was his vibrant parrot, Polly, her feathers a brilliant mix of green and gold. "A, B, C," she squawked enthusiastically, mimicking the sounds she had heard so many times before.

Leo sighed, the letters seeming to jumble before his eyes. "It's so hard, Polly," he murmured, tracing the letters with his finger. "Haaaard," echoed Polly, tilting her head as if to offer encouragement. Her mimicry brought a small smile to Leo's face, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

Leo looked at Polly, her unwavering enthusiasm infectious. "Alright, let's try again," he said, determination creeping back into his voice. He pointed to a letter, "This is D," he declared, looking to Polly for confirmation. "Deee," she agreed, nodding her head vigorously.

Leo beamed, the letters finally forming words that made sense. "Dog! I can read dog!" he exclaimed, his voice a mixture of surprise and triumph. "Dog, dog, dog!" chirped Polly, flapping her wings in celebration.

Leo hugged his book to his chest, gratitude spilling over. "Thank you, Polly," he said, reaching out to stroke her feathers. "Thank you, thank you," Polly repeated, her voice as affectionate as a parrot's could be.

Leo placed the book back on the shelf, his heart full of excitement for the stories yet to be discovered. With Polly by his side, he felt ready for anything. "Tomorrow, we'll read more," he promised, looking at his feathered friend. "More, more," agreed Polly, her voice softening as she nestled close to him.