Even though I know it’s the plan, a part of me doesn’t like this answer. I’m not about to dissect why that is either.
“Let me guess,” I say in a dry tone. “You want my help with this stuff too.”
“I think we’ve entered truce territory. I can be pleasant so we can accomplish all of this. What about you?”
“I make no promises on pleasantness,” I say with a half smirk, “but I will help you.”
She beams at me. “Partners it is.”
The tightening inside my chest at her words is alarming. Maybe she’s getting through the thick grizzled exterior I wear like armor.
Or…
Maybe it’s too many fried clams and I’m one clogged artery away from chasing my old roommate into the afterlife.
I guess only time will tell.
Chapter 15
Nora
As soon as we make it back to Elias’s house, it’s back to business. Now that I have a plan and a timeline, everything seems a lot more manageable. We spend the rest of the afternoon and into the evening cleaning up inside Grandma’s cottage. It gets dark all too quickly and we’re forced to quit for the night.
After my shower, and once I’m dressed in comfortable loungewear, I find Elias busy in the kitchen.
“Anything I can do to help?” I ask as he rummages through his fridge.
“Just seeing what fixings I have for burgers,” he says with a grunt. “I’m going to start the grill out back and then run to the store. Keep an eye on it so my house doesn’t burn down while I’m gone, yeah?”
I smother a laugh. “Yeah. I think I can manage.”
As soon as he leaves, I grab a notebook and slip on my sandals before heading out onto the pack patio. The smoky smell of the grill makes my stomach grumble. We stuffed ourselves atlunch but I’m already hungry again. All this physical work and sweating non-stop really works up an appetite.
It’s strange to think how many meals I missed while working in the city. I’d get so wrapped up on what I was doing on the computer that I wouldn’t eat. That certainly doesn’t happen in Budgie Bay. I’m hungry all the time.
I bypass the grill and make my way over to the aviary. I’m relieved to see Elias has put the key back. He’d been rude about me going in with the birds, like I was going to accidentally let them escape. A couple of days ago, I’d have thought he was just a controlling jerk. But now I see past his gruff exterior. It’s because he cares.
I’d expected him to put up some sort of fight when I mentioned re-homing the budgies, but he said nothing. I don’t fault him for it. They’re a lot of work and he’s been taking care of them for who knows how long for Grandma.
Inside the aviary, I’m greeted first by the one named Frodo. He jumps onto my notebook when I open it and tries to eat the paper. I laugh and he chirps in annoyance at me. Maybe I could take both him and Clo back with me to New York. So Clo doesn’t get lonely. I know these birds prefer to have a friend.
The other budgies all start happily chirping along with Frodo. Some of them munch on their millet while others stretch their wings. They’re all so content to be here. I feel sort of guilty about taking them away from their home.
“I could ask Elias,” I say to Frodo. “Maybe he wants to keep the whole gang here.”
Frodo tries to yank my pen out of my hand.
“Grandma wouldn’t want to rehome you all, but she also didn’t have a life back in New York. I don’t really have any other choice.”
The birds all chirp and sing, their attention solely on me, as if they’re communicating their wishes to me. Too bad I don’t speak budgie. It’d be a lot easier if I knew exactly what to do.
I take the time to write down how many birds there are, what I think the sex and age is of each one, and a small description about them. Then, I take some pictures of each one. I’ll have to see if there’s a social media page or something for Budgie Bay so I can get the word out about these birds.
Eventually, I have enough information to build a profile for each one. I talk to every budgie, and a yellow one even lets me hold her. By the time I finish, I note Elias has returned and is manning the grill.
The scent of cooking hamburgers reaches my nose as I close the aviary door and double check that it’s locked securely. My stomach grumbles in appreciation. One of Elias’s good qualities is that he cooks often and cooks well. He’s going to make his future wife happy one day.
“Smells delicious,” I tell him as I approach. “Didn’t you eat a burger at lunch?”
