The bird sanctuary was lush with greenery and flowers and noisy with bird sounds. The place was thick with trees for birds to perch on, and there was a pond where birds waded. Joey likedthat there were so many birds for him to spot, but Bailey wasn't really thrilled with either the number of birds or their loud calls. It felt like the start of a horror movie where everyone gets their eyes pecked out.
"Why are you making that face?" Matt asked him.
"This might be too many birds," Bailey said and didn't mention anything about the horror movie vibe.
"It's not too many. I like them, Daddy," Joey told him.
Matt agreed with him. "It's a bird sanctuary. The birds are supposed to be here. We're on their turf."
"Why am I being scolded?" Bailey grumbled.
"Because you're not getting into it like you should," Matt told him.
Joey seconded that. "You have to like the birds, Daddy."
"OK, OK, I love the birds," Bailey told them, but the main thing to him was that Joey and Matt were enjoying themselves.
Joey was pointing out practically every bird he saw. "Look at that one! It's yellow!" he exclaimed.
"That's a nice looking bird," Matt said taking a picture of it.
"I'll take one of you since I like you better," Bailey said and took a photo of Joey.
Then Matt picked up Joey and put him to sit on his shoulder. "Now you're closer to the birds," he said and Joey laughed, happy to be up so high.
Bailey took a picture of them like that and got a bird in the shot too. "OK, I'm starting to like this place," he said and showed the picture to Matt and Joey.
"That's just me and Matt. You like us," he said rightly.
"Yes, I do. But there is a bird in there. See?" Bailey enlarged the photo and Joey saw it.
Now Joey had instructions. "Take more pictures, Daddy. But you have to be in them too with me and Matt and birds."
"I'll try to get myself in there," Bailey said and then felt Matt put his arm around him and pull him close.
"How's that?" Matt asked with a grin.
"Very helpful," Bailey said as he enjoyed the closeness even a little too much. He managed to take a photo of all three of them, Matt's arm still around him and maybe a feather or two in the shot. Then he tried not to stare at that picture and wish that it meant something.
Once they were done at the bird sanctuary, they drove to the Boathouse Diner which was on an actual boat. Matt told Joey, "They serve a great fish burger here. Is that your thing?"
Matt was teasing him, but Joey panicked a little. "No. I want a real burger," Joey said and looked alarmed.
"And real fries?" Bailey asked.
"Yeah. No fishy fries," Joey confirmed.
The diner boat stayed anchored which disappointed Joey a little, but he liked his burger, fries and chocolate shake. That was the kind of basic fare the place served, but it was all good.
They ended up staying there kind of late and Joey was getting a little sleepy. "Better get this guy home," Bailey said though he would have loved to stay out longer with Matt.
Once they were home, they got Joey to bed and then Bailey brought out two beers for him and Matt to drink while sitting on the porch. Bailey wondered if tonight something might happen between him and Matt. He desperately wanted it to.
Matt was looking at his phone and frowning so Bailey asked, "Something wrong?"
"A girl who works at the Blue Pearl just texted me to say that she hopes it's OK that she told Gwen about some guy and how he was telling everyone..." Matt bit his lip and didn't finish.
As the silence stretched out and Matt kept staring at his phone and looking upset, Bailey felt like he had to come clean.
