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My father had moved to Boston’s Conran Center, the best cardio rehab in the world, to finish his therapy back in April. I was getting him an apartment that was finally finished at the end of this month, and he’d stay in town. It had been a struggle but Gianna and I finally got him to sell the house on Long Island. Puff was part of the reason.
Avery finally set the phone down. “I told Emerson too. And Mason and Kyle.”
Oh, fun. We’d have the peanut gallery in attendance.
Twenty minutes later, we were in the puffin house at the Boston Zoo, rapt by the footage on a television screen that had been set up for the staff. Two of the three eggs rocked slightly. I could just make out the crack in one of the whitish shells with subtle black speckles.
“It’s so close.” Avery bounced on her toes, her palms pressed together over her heart and her fingers tapping together. “Puff’s going to be a daddy, Chris.”
“I knew Puffette was his girl.” It was always going to be the bird with the pink band. Puff looked at her and knew. I understood that.
Avery rolled her eyes.
“Hey, all.” Dean appeared, hitting me with a covert smile when Avery wasn’t looking.
I nodded in answer to his silent question, and with that, he stepped away again.
“Enjoy the show,” he said as he wandered off.
“Did we miss it?” I spun at the sound of Pop’s voice. He was flanked by Gianna and Emerson, but even so, I headed his way, eager to help him. But he held his hand out quickly. “I can walk over to you. I told these two the same damn thing. I do not need help.”
Being somewhat helpless these last few months had been hard for Dad. But he was getting closer to being back to normal every day. He’d been placed into a more self-sufficient apartment now that he was moving easier and able to shower without help.
“Dumpty and Bosco are on their way too.” Emerson beamed. “Isn’t it exciting?”
“You’d think it was your baby for how much you’re bouncing up and down.” Gianna rolled her eyes.
Emerson leaned close and whispered something that had her glancing away. Gianna had been staying at my place for a few weeks, since I was pretty much living with Avery, and things seemed off between her and Emerson.
I watched them both. Gi had sidestepped, and had her arms crossed over her chest, and Emerson was now ignoring her as well. Though maybe it was because he was fixated on the eggs on the TV screen. I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what was off, but I trusted my best friend not to mess with my sister, so whatever it was, I wouldn’t stress about it.
“Hey.” Avery tapped my arm. “I’m going to head back and check on them.” The nesting birds had been moved out of the exhibit to make them more comfortable, so they were all in the back. “You ready, grandpa and great-grandpas?”
Tom and I both groaned.
Pop, on the other hand, smiled and clapped his hands. “Absolutely.”
Our responses made Avery’s smile impossibly brighter. Spinning on her heel, she laughed and headed toward the employees only area, her blond ponytail swinging. Once she was out of sight, the door that led into the exhibit opened, and Dean stepped out onto the rock. In the space of one heartbeat, he was surrounded by hungry birds. It wasn’t an easy task to get Puff out of there on his own. Not with all the attention Dean had garnered from the entire puffinry.
Tom cleared his throat. “You nervous?” He knew my plan because I’d swung by his brownstone on my way home from the game last week.
“He’s depending on a bird. Of course he is.” Gianna rolled her eyes. At this point, I was pretty sure Avery was the only person who didn’t know what was happening today.
“Puff isn’t going to mess up. I trust him.” I shrugged.
Tom shook his head. “The damn bird could eat it.”
“Our grandson is smarter than that,” Pop joked.
I winced. Why hadn’t I thought of that? It was too late now, because Dean was back, with Puff in tow. The white ribbon around his neck was in place and everything.
As soon as he noticed me, Puff hopped onto my shoulder.
“Keep a hold of this, and you’ll be fine.” Dean passed me the harness. “She thinks I’m bringing him back for when they hatch.”
As if on cue, one of the eggs on screen wobbled, and the egg cracked, revealing a tiny black beak.
“Better get in there,” Dean said.
