I tripped backward.
What—
Something feathered and flighty hopped away, only to soar back and tap against the glass. I’d expected to see a wayward branch or even some flotsam that’d lodged against the frame.
I hadn’t expected this.
Had some messenger from God come to slap me for being so lost? Was it some mystery of Mother Nature saying she believed in me?
I’m not alone...
My heart swelled as lost hope unfurled.
The people I lived with might not care about me...but others did. I couldn’t stop fighting because Iwasloved. Out there, somewhere, I was loved by people who mattered.
My heart twisted as I bent closer to inspect.
The bird of prey rapped its beak on the window, hopping on the sill outside. Its beady black eyes tore through me, as if in one glance it knew what I’d dealt with and how close I was to the end.
You understand me, little bird. Are you my saviour?
Backing away from the window, I balled my hands.
You don’t need a saviour...if you only believed in yourself again...
So what, your hair is gone? So what, your brother is gone? So what, Jethro is gone?
You’renot gone.
So fight!
The bird charged the pane, rapping its beak with fury.
I froze.
Winter ice had chased away autumn far too fast. The spidery lace of frost decorated corners of the glass. The radiating cold cut through my cotton nightgown like knives.
Poor thing.
I hated to think of the poor creature in the cold. No animal should be without shelter.
I moved forward and opened the wrought iron catch. Cracking the window open, the bird immediately hopped inside.
No fear. No hesitation.
Where the hell had this bird come from?
I froze as the raptor spread its wings, ran across the interior window, andhopped onto my hand.
“Ah!” I snatched my hand back. Its talons were sharp and its beak deadly. I’d had enough pain at the hands of human hawks to let a feathered one hurt me, too.
The bird puffed out its chest. Its beak glinted wickedly while it cocked its head and stared at me with intelligent eyes.
It saw right through me.
It saw how broken I was. How tired. How desolate.
It made me drown in guilt for being so feeble.
