Page 60 of Look on the Bright Side

“It’s just that she’s a hundred and forty-two years old, and she made our parents’ life a living hell until Lorenzo moved her into the care facility,” Dante said. “She just recently stopped calling Mom a whore.”

“Oh, my gosh!” Lark said. “And Anita’s so nice to her.”

“Exactly,” Izzy said. “Now, let’s watch this falcon show.”

“Okay,” said Jocelyn, Otto still on her arm. “In my pouch, I have pieces of chicken for Otto. I’ll toss a piece as high as I can, and we’ll see if he can catch it.”

“He always catches it,” Sofia said. “He’s amazing.”

“Maybe you can use him at your wedding,” Dante said. “Ring bearer. Otto swoops in, drops the rings, flies off. Hopefully he doesn’t poop on your dress, but I’m willing to take that chance.”

Sofia punched him fondly on the arm. See? Lark told herself. A nice guy. Nothing to be concerned about.

On the stage, Jocelyn was done with her lecture. “Now, of course, you all want to see him fly, am I right? And hunt?”

“Yes!” chorused the crowd.

“Who else has goose bumps?” Dante asked, and Izzy shoved him fondly, then looped her arm through his.

“You ready, folks?” Jocelyn said, raising her arm. The crowd cheered, Lark included.

“Free, Otto!” She flung her arm up, and Otto soared straight up, his huge wings unfolding with stunning speed and grace. He was so beautiful, and Lark felt her heart lift. The bird circled over the stage and crowd, garnering gasps of awe, and Jocelyn threw a small piece of food high in the air. Otto turned, shortened his wings, and dove straight for it. Caught it like a boss and returned to Jocelyn’s arm, a study in fierce grace and agility.

“Pretty amazing, right?” Jocelyn asked the applauding crowd. “Want to see that again?”

She repeated the action, tossing the snack farther out this time. Again, Otto took to the air, heading like a bullet toward its target.

But suddenly, he pivoted midair, shortened his wings and whump. Lark heard the soft collision before she located it by the abrupt shower of feathers. Shrieks rose from the crowd, and Otto circled again. A pigeon hung limp in his talons.

“Holy shit! That was an assassination,” Izzy said.

“Whoa!” cried Jocelyn. “Nature at its finest, folks. He is a bird of prey, after all, and pigeons are definitely prey. Why have a little piece of chicken when you can have a buffet?” The crowd laughed uncertainly. “Come on back, Otto!”

Otto continued to circle. Laden with the weight of the pigeon, he was slower and less graceful, giving everyone quite a view of the dead bird. Kind of gruesome, Lark thought, but also wicked cool.

“The circle of life,” Dante sang softly, and Lark bit down on a laugh.

“At least it was a pigeon and not, I don’t know, a hummingbird or cardinal. Something we like, in other words,” Izzy said. “You could say Otto is doing a public service.”

“I’m actually afraid of pigeons,” Sofia said.

“I think Otto sensed that,” Dante said.

“The rats of the sky,” said Izzy.

“They’re not so bad,” Lark said, feeling someone had to defend the poor birds. “I kind of like them.”

“Come on back, Otto,” Jocelyn called again.

But Otto did not fly back. No. Otto’s wings drew back as he prepared to land and eat his meal, and that place was…that place was…

“Oh, shit,” Dante said, bolting through the crowd.

That place was Noni’s head.

“Where’s my phone?” Izzy said.

Because yes, the falcon had landed right on Noni’s little head and was tearing into the pigeon. Noni remained fast asleep. Thank God for the wig! People shrieked and backed away, as if Otto were Godzilla and not a two-and-a-half-pound bird, but yeah, those talons were sharp. Lark and Izzy followed Dante through the crowd. A mom covered her kid’s eyes as Otto tore a chunk out of the pigeon and swallowed it. Noni’s wig began to turn pink.

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