Page 4 of Revived

“Yeah, I know, but listen to me…” I bend down and turn his head to face me, commanding his attention with my voice and my eyes. “Don’t do that again, do you understand?”

He nods, his gaze wide. “Yes, Daddy. Hey, Daddy?”

“Yeah, bud?”

“I’m worried about Grandma. She fell really hard.” His little lip trembles as he stares at me, causing me to instantly soften my tone.

“Me too, bud. Did you see her fall?”

His head bobs up and down again. “Yeah. She slipped in water on the floor. She was washing dishes.”

“It was an accident, buddy. Sometimes it happens. That’s why we have to be extra careful when we do stuff.”

“I know. She got to ride in an ambulance though!” He perks up at that idea, my son who’s obsessed with doctors and anyone who helps make people feel better when they’ve been hurt.

“That is pretty cool.” I fake a smile, even though the image of my mom hurt makes my chest ache. I’m not naïve to the fact that both of my parents are getting older, but instances like these make me more aware of their increasing age. I know I’ll need to help as much as I can once she’s out of the hospital too, so I mentally assess my schedule as Grayson continues to speak.

“Yeah, really cool. Hey, Daddy? Can we feed the ducks too?” He points over my shoulder, as I turn to see what he’s talking about. And as if my eyebrows could reach my hairline, the image of a woman throwing bread crumbs all around her takes me by surprise, her small body completely surrounded by birds as if she’s completely unafraid they will attack her when she runs out of food.

“Um…” I manage to get out before Grayson takes off in the direction of the woman. Following closely behind, we arrive a few feet away, maintaining a safe distance as the geese squawk and honk at her for more.

“Can I help?” Grayson asks, peering up at the woman from his limited height.

Turning to face us and absorb the fact that she’s being watched, her beautiful smile instantly lights up her face. “Of course! Here,” she speaks and then digs into the bag of bread and hands a slice to Grayson. “Do you want to help too?” She addresses me, but I barely register her words. I’m too busy admiring how at ease she is around all of these birds and how out of place yet exactly perfect she looks right now.

Her deep brown hair with subtle blonde highlights is pulled off her neck into a high ponytail, her ears covered by a maroon fleece headband to protect her from the cold weather. A navy blue peacoat is hiding her torso, but her long legs draped in denim peek beneath the bottom of it, leading down to leather boots that are covered in mud. Her cheeks are red too from the winter air and her lips are glossed over in a cherry tint that makes them shine in the sunlight. And then her eyes hit mine and the green hue is so vibrant, I get lost in how unique the color is.

“Daddy! Help us!” Grayson pulls me from my thoughts, my intense perusal of this woman that completely catch me off guard.

“Uh, sure, buddy.” Reaching for the bread, I begin to tear off pieces and toss them as far as possible. Sure, I see these birds every day on campus, but I’ve never been this close to them before. Other professors share horror stories of the bird attacks they’ve seen or survived, so I’ve made sure to stay clear.

“I’m Grayson,” my son shares as we watch the birds scatter around us. “What’s your name?”

The woman peers down at him again while reaching for more bread. “I’m Rachel. What are you doing here today, Grayson?”

“Feeding the ducks with you, duh!”

“Grayson!” I chastise him, reaching for his shoulder as Rachel chuckles beside us. “Sorry…”

She shakes her head amusedly. “No, it’s no problem. I liked his answer. Have you ever fed the ducks before?”

“Nope. This is my first time here. My daddy works here,” he explains and then points at me. “This is my daddy.”

I can’t help the laugh I let out. “Yeah, in case you didn’t figure that out on your own,” I scoff as she smirks back at me. Reaching to shake her hand, she meets me halfway. “I’m Luke.”

“Rachel. Well, I mean, you do have dark hair and his is blonde. You never know…” She shrugs before bending down to hand more bread to Grayson.

“My mommy had blonde hair,” Grayson says so easily, but the cut it leaves in my heart doesn’t ebb as quickly.

“Oh. Well, then that makes sense.”

“I’m not supposed to be here though. My grandma fell and had to go to the hospital. But she got to ride in an ambulance!”

Rachel crouches down to eye level with Grayson, clearly concerned by his admission. “Oh, my gosh. I’m so sorry, Grayson. Is she going to be okay?” His beanie covered head turns to me now, waiting for the answer with concerned eyes.

“She should be okay. They think she might have broken her hip, but I’m waiting to hear more.”

“I’m so sorry. I hope she pulls through.”

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