FLORA LOVED HER DAYS IN THE WARM SUN. THE ISLAND WAS SMALL AND PEACEFUL. SHE SAW NEW THINGS EVERY DAY.

FLORA WOULD SEE BOATS COME AND GO ON THE WATER. GENTLE WINDS WOULD BLOW THROUGH HER BRANCHES AS THE DAYS PASSED. THIS WAS HER HAPPY PLACE.

THEN ONE DAY, FLORA NOTICED A NEW SPROUT COMING THROUGH THE SAND. SHE WAS OVERJOYED TO HAVE SOMEONE TO TALK TO AND SHARE THE WARM DAYS AND NIGHTS WITH.

THE NEW SPROUT WOULD TAKE TIME TO GROW AS BIG AS FLORA.

WHEN THE SPROUT GREW AS TALL AS FLORA, SHE INTRODUCED HERSELF. THE NEW PALM TREE SAID HER NAME WAS ESMERALDA, BUT SHE PREFERRED "ESME".

FLORA LOVED HAVING A NEIGHBOR TO SHARE THINGS WITH. THEY ENJOYED LONG TALKS, WATCHING THE DAYS PASS, AND WATCHING PEOPLE PLAY AROUND THEM.

ESME TOLD FLORA THEY WOULD BE FRIENDS FOREVER. YEARS CAME AND WENT ON THE ISLAND. 

THEY SHARED GREAT DAYS IN THE SUN TOGETHER. SOMETIMES A STORM WOULD PASS THROUGH AND CLEAN THEIR BRANCHES. 

AS TIME PASSED, ESME OBSERVED THAT SOME OF FLORA'S BRANCHES HAD TURNED BROWN AND MANY HAD FALLEN TO THE GROUND.

ESME BECAME CONCERNED AND ASKED FLORA WHY THIS WAS HAPPENING. FLORA TOLD HER THAT EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS LOSING SOME OF HER BRANCHES, SHE WAS ALRIGHT, JUST GETTING OLDER.

MORE BRANCHES TURNED BROWN AND FELL OFF GRADUALLY... EVEN HER OTHER LIMBS APPEARED DROOPY. ESME WAS VERY UPSET ABOUT HER FRIEND.