Page 68 of Talk Birdie to Me

Exactly why it was time for him to move on.

“Who is she? Or he?” his mom asked. “They?”

“Who is what?”

“Whoever you’re thinking about. You’ve got this look. I know what that look is. Who is it?”

“It’s no one.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Don’t lie to your mother.”

“Her name is Geena,” he said. “But don’t get excited. It’s not a thing. She’s just been helping me out with zoo stuff.”

“That’s not a zoo stuff look,” she insisted.

“Doesn’t matter. I’m leaving soon enough and she only wants something serious. She’s an accountant,” he said. “I don’t fit in her equations.”

“Did she say that?”

“We have been upfront about what we both want,” he said, remembering that first date when she’d been clearly annoyed by every word that came out of his mouth.

Since then, though, she was almost a different person. Her walls had lowered around him.

But maybe that was precisely because there was no end game for them.

“I still say it’s worth a shot,” she said. “You never know what could happen.”

“Can we talk about something else?”

He was finding it harder lately to think about leaving. The zoo. Lauren. Geena. Even Gary.

And, of course, his mom.

He’d kept his distance as much as possible since he left home after high school, and he didn’t think he’d get so attached to his place of origin.

But here they were.

Another reason to head out as soon as he could.

His mom grabbed the spoon she’d been stirring the warmed baked beans with and waved it gently at him. “You’d better learn how to fly or drive in for visits.”

Cody smiled. “You’ll be my first vacation location.”

17

“Pretty bird!”

Cody rewarded the Amazon parrot with a strawberry. It was a different species than Gary, but equally eager.

The handful of birds that had been part of Gary’s gang of feathered troublemakers were separated in cages dispersed around the zoo. Out of sight and earshot.

Cody had been working with the remaining chatterboxes all week, reinforcing more desired vocabulary. It seemed to crowd out the words their guests found particularly questionable. These chuckleheads were almost ready for the public. By Monday, they would get another shot at being together in the aviary.

The door opened slowly as Lauren entered the meal prep room, finished with her morning primate rounds. Her uniform shirt was dotted with raindrops from the shower that had begun moments ago.

Cody heard the pattering on the roof just before Lauren arrived. The entire staff had been dodging showers and storms all week, leaving the exhibits a muddy mess by that Thursday morning.

Lauren watched from the doorway, eying the bright green bird that was now occupying Gary’s old cage. “How’s he doing?”

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