She nodded. “Agreed.”
She thought about their lifestyle together. “Noah’s starting to have more sleepovers, but they’re not a regular thing. Getting together during the day could be difficult. We’re both working. On weekends, Noah has birthday parties every now and then but mostly he hangs out with you.”
A complication, she thought sadly. Now that she knew what being with Alex was like, she wanted to enjoy a little more regular access.
“I want to be with you,” he said, his gaze intense. “We’ll figure it out.” He paused. “Sometimes you spend the night in the guest room. Would you be open to that? You could bring Lucy and we could...”
She laughed. “I’d like a little ‘we could’ in my life.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do.”
Jax walked through the store on her way to the second floor. “Ramon,” she called. “I know, I know. I’m sixteen minutes late for dinner. Come on, sweetie. Let’s go.”
She waited for the familiar flap of wings and the feel of his light body landing on her arm or shoulder. Instead there was only the noise of customers and the soundtrack fromWickedplaying in the background.
She looked around but didn’t see him anywhere. When she reached the second floor she checked in each of the rooms, including his private space, but he wasn’t there.
“Ramon,” she called, more loudly this time, ignoring the sense of panic swelling inside of her. He had to be somewhere. This was his home—he wouldn’t just leave, he loved her. Just that morning she’d taken him outside for his bath. He flutteredand preened in the sun, enjoying the water and occasionally flapping hard enough to make sure she got sprayed as well.
But she couldn’t find him and the more she looked, the more scared she got. She ran down the stairs and searched the store, calling his name. Several customers turned to stare at her, but she ignored them.
“Ramon! Ramon!”
Cheryl hurried over. “What’s wrong?”
“I can’t find Ramon.” Jax felt her eyes start to burn as her heart rate increased. “He’s gone.”
Cheryl went pale. “He’s around. He’d never leave. Maybe someone’s reading to him and he’s not paying attention to you.”
“It’s dinnertime.”
Cheryl pressed her lips together. “Yes, well, he has to be somewhere.”
Jax ran to the front of the store and slipped behind the main counter. She grabbed the microphone and began to speak.
“Hi, everyone. It’s Jax, the owner of the Painted Lady. I can’t find Ramon, my parrot. He should be in the store. If any of you can see him, please shout out and let me know where he is.”
The store went oddly silent. Jax waited, afraid to breathe or move, as she hoped to hear a loud “Here he is!” Only there was nothing. She waited for five seconds, then ten. The tears in her eyes spilled down her cheeks as the horrible reality crashed in on her.
Ramon was gone.
“We’ll find him,” Cheryl said firmly.
Jax ran out of the store and onto the sidewalk. She spun as she searched the surrounding trees, then looked up at the widow’s walk.
Nothing.
She called his name over and over again, then returned her gaze to the widow’s walk. Maybe he’d gotten trapped in the apartment.
She ran back inside and raced for the stairs. When she reached the top floor she unlocked the door and burst inside.
“Ramon? Are you here?”
There was no flap of wings, no familiar voice. Nothing.
She jogged to the balcony and went out.
“Ramon! Ramon! Where are you?”
