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Never knowing my blood family—the family that carries whatever genes I have that make me the way I am—I basically went off the radar for a little while and stayed shifted in my avian form for days at a time. If I wouldn’t have forced myself to shift back every so often I would have ruined my reputation as the best handyman in town.
Laney’s always kept tens of bird feeders all over her yard, it’s what originally attracted me to her house. I called her about the For Rent sign in the window of the garage and have been living here since. The old woman found out one night though, she caught me shifting, said she watched me fly away. But she didn’t freak out. Not even the slightest.
“I know magic exists my boy. I’ve seen it more than once with my own eyes,” she’d said.
I didn’t ask her more about it and she’s never mentioned it again. She leaves the kitchen window cracked for me to come in if I ever want. I take her up on it a good bit, sitting on the perch she has standing in the living room, or even snuggle up on her shoulder if she’s had a particularly bad day.
She’s become a second—well I guess really a third—mother to me. I can’t say how much I appreciate not only her hospitality but also her love.
She brought Avery into the picture several months back to help with Elvis and other odds and ends cleaning things around the house. I’ll be the first to admit I can fix your garbage disposal all day, but cleaning the kitchen sink is not my specialty.
The first time Avery’s long blonde hair caught my eye I was perched on my post in the living room, relaxing after a hard day of installing a deck.
Avery ran up to me screaming and saying how she’d had love birds when she was younger and couldn’t believe Laney had one.
I’m not too weak to say I became obsessed from then on.
Using the information she’d told me when I was in bird form I found ways to run into her. I started to frequent the Reindeer Cafe, and coincidentally—to Avery at least—it was the same time as her every day.
She told me she grocery shops Monday evenings and opts to eat out those nights. So I made sure to stop by her favorite fast food restaurants Monday evenings. I only ran into her once this way but she was all too happy to see me, joking and saying, “If I didn’t know any better I’d say you’re following me.”
I’d even gone so far as to watch her on a date last fall.
That’s when I started to get my act in gear and stop playing around. I wanted this woman in my life. She wasn’t for someone else. She’s only for me.
She thought I was the handsome and mysterious town loaner, but I knew she was the person I’m supposed to spend the rest of my life with.
It was January first and the small world of Coal’s Lake was just getting back to normalcy after the holidays when I finally made it happen. Avery was walking out of the grocery store when I collided into her, pretending to not pay attention.
Turns out it wasn’t a good idea, she was furious. Her eggs had broken and yolk covered all the other contents in the bag. Not my best moment.
But my plea to make it up to her by buying coffee went exactly as I’d planned. We met for breakfast the next morning and have talked every day since.
I love her. But I know I messed up. I couldn’t say anything about shifting in the beginning, she wouldn’t have given me a chance. So I lied to her. And now, if she finds out she’ll think I betrayed her trust.
She’ll kick my feathery ass to the curb.
Shaking off the thought, I get to fixing a blown bulb in the garage before Laney gets home.
* * *
“Oh Elvisss.”The voice of the love of my life wakes me. “Doing okay, bud?”
I stayed in the main house last night, hoping to see Avery stop by on her way to work.
Her phone pings and she grabs it from her coat pocket, smiling at whatever was sent. Jealousy runs through my veins, being in animal form it’s heightened. I fly to her shoulder faster than I intended, landing and slightly sinking my talons in her skin.
“Ouch! Hey Bird! Be gentle will ya?” she exclaims.
Feeling bad for not being able to control myself, I rub against her neck.
“Yeah, yeah just be softer next time,” she chides.
Nodding my head she smiles and rubs my back. I stay on her shoulder for the visit, only chirping once at that damn Elvis. It’s a classic relationship, the bird and cat don’t care for one another. But I won’t apologize, he’s a dick.
Back in the living room, Avery extends her hand for me to land on her fingers, I happily oblige.
“Okay big guy, I’ll be back after work. Hope to see you then.” She ever so lightly cheek pecks my cheek and helps me back to the perch.
