“Everything okay up there?” Lennox called out, shifting my thoughts back to the real world awaiting us outside of these four walls.
I wiped away the tear, hoping Charlie hadn’t seen it fall, and poked my head out of the hatch. “All good. We’re coming down now.”
But as we moved toward the hatch, I heard the softest sound. A sweet chirp.
Bird song.
“Do you hear that?” I asked, turning my head toward the window.
Charlie stayed silent for a moment, eyes widening in surprise as she nodded her head. “I do!” She tried to whisper, but her little voice was loud in the quiet of the treehouse.
I pressed my finger to my lips as I beckoned her forward. She tiptoed in front of me, carefully conscious of her movements as we both peered through the window.
There, in the worn planter box just below, was a large bird nest with three tiny baby birds inside. They squawked angrily, tilting their heads to the sky and demanding food. In the blink of an eye, one of the parents swooped in, ready to feed their young. Its chest puffed out, displaying a bright, vibrant blue that had emotion clawing at my throat.
“Look, Miss Cleo!” Charlie said excitedly. “It isn’t empty at all!”
This time, I couldn’t fight the tears. I couldn’t fight the memories, the longing, the adoration. Instead of snuffing themout like I did every other time they came around, I let myself feel each and every one. The sunshine warmed my face, and I prayed its warmth would sink into my skin and touch my soul.
“You’re crying,” Charlie said. I looked down and noticed she was staring at me instead of the tender family moment taking place beneath the window.
“Happy tears.” I dabbed at the moisture with my palm. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
Charlie chewed on her lip. “Maybe there’s some magic here after all.”
“Maybe so,” I whispered.
“Do I need to go get the tractor?” Lennox called out once more. “Are y’all stuck?”
I moved over to the hatch, sticking my head out. “Patience is a virtue, you know.”
“Not one of mine,” she snapped back. “I’m much more about instant gratification.”
I narrowed my eyes as she smirked, knowing all too well what was on the tip of her tongue to say. “There is a child present, Lennox.”
She shrugged. “Better hurry and get down then.”
I could feel Lennox’s stare on my back as I started to climb, carefully ignoring it as I coached Charlie on how to get down. The time for answering questions was coming quickly, but I wasn’t any closer to figuring out what to say. The truth felt too heavy, but I didn’t want to lie. Not to her. Not when I knew Lennox was one of the few people who’d never dare judge me.
It still didn’t make it any easier to show the rawest parts of me, the parts I’d kept hidden even from the people who loved me wholly and completely.
“You’ve got this, Charlie,” I called up as she made the descent. “Nice and slow. Keep your eyes forward, don’t look down unless you have to.”
Charlie clung to the rungs like her little life depended on it, but she gave a nod and moved slowly. Every so often, I’d call up, telling her to breathe when I saw her muscles stiffen from fear, her hand tremble as she tried to find the proper footing before letting go.
Her smile was wide by the time she finally made it to the bottom, turning triumphantly to Lennox and me and shouting, “I did it!” at the top of her lungs. We both laughed as she barreled toward us. I didn’t think when she launched herself at me, only opened my arms wide and let her leap into them before giving her a little twirl.
“I’m so proud of you! It wasn’t that bad, was it?” She shook her head. “See, I told you. I bet you’re a natural now.”
I set her down, watching as she scrunched up her face. “No, I think I’ll be like my daddy and stay on the ground.” And then, like a million-dollar idea just popped into her head, she started jumping up and down. “Ooh! Do you think we could have a treehouse on the ground? Do you think he’d build me one, Miss Cleo?”
“I think that’s a wonderful idea, Charlie,” I said, sticking my hand out for her to take.
She did so eagerly and tugged me back toward the barn. “If he did, would you come visit me and see it? Maybe that can be your place!”
“Your place?” Lennox asked, stepping up beside me.
“Yeah, Miss Cleo said she gets sad sometimes, so I told her she needs to find somewhere that makes her happy. Maybe we can share my treehouse.” Charlie said it like it was the simplest thing in the world, like she hadn’t just outed my unhappiness to my sister.
