Page 14 of Pigeon

“Hot man alert!” the bird coos in what can only be called a sexy, sultry voice.

“Priscilla! Behave yourself, little lady,” Ivy admonishes on a laugh.

“Sexy man!” the bird states while talking over Ivy.

“Finally! A bird with brains and good taste,” Axel exclaims while opening the aviary door and walking up to the bird.

“Huge yamagurgle!” the bird informs Axel while leaning close to his face.

“Huge what?” Gunner questions Ivy.

“I have no idea,” Ivy answers as we walk through the door and stop next to Axel.

“Very big yamagurgle,” the bird now says in another cooing voice.

“Must be bird slang for cock,” Axel informs us with a grin.

Turning back to the bird, Axel reaches up and strokes the yellow mohawk-type feathers on the top of the bird’s head. This is beyond strange to watch. I swear this bird is flirting, and Axel’s eating it up. I look at Gunner to see his expression of confusion that has to match my own.

“Name?” the bird asks with a head tilt and while never taking its eyes off Axel.

“I’m Axel. What’s your name, you gorgeous thing?”

“Priscilla,” she answers in what I’m positive is a beautiful southern drawl.

I turn to Ivy to see she’s amused at this odd encounter.

“Priscilla’s a female?” Gunner asks with humor in his voice.

“Yes, Prissy is a female cockatoo who originally lived in Savannah, Georgia. She’s, um, well, she can be a handful,” Ivy answers in a hushed tone.

“For shame, Ivy. For shame,” Prissy admonishes.

“Love you, Prissy,” Ivy states quickly, and it was the right thing to say. Prissy’s feathers smooth out a bit as she continues staring at Axel.

Before this bizarre meeting goes any further, I hear a buzzer ring in the distance.

“That must be Ava. I’ll go let her in,” Ivy says and then disappears out the door.

“Do you like the other birds, Prissy?” Axel asks.

“Fools. Dumb-ass fools,” Prissy answers immediately.

“Do you know who Mac is?” Axel continues questioning.

“I’s prettier,” Prissy responds while raising her head feathers until they are standing nearly straight up.

I shake my head at this weird-ass conversation and exit the aviary. Gunner follows me out and closes the door on Axel and his new love interest just as Ava and Ivy come into view. Ava’s face is beaming, and I can feel her excitement. Rushing up to Gunner, she plants her hands on his biceps and raises up on her toes to wait for the kiss he drops on her mouth.

“Where are they?” Ava asks excitedly.

Gunner doesn’t respond, but I watch as he grins down at his wife. After a moment, he points to the door and then rushes to get his arm around his wife before she can break into a run. Tucking her into his side, he slows their pace to a more fitting one for a pregnant lady. I watch as they exit the building then glance back at Axel. He’s still carrying on a conversation with a flirting bird, so I walk off.

I find the building that houses the dogs and enter. I stop and pet a few on my way down the long aisle, but I already know where I’m going. At the end is the kennel that has the new dog in it that Ivy’s been working with. Stopping in front, I watch as Thor stiffens then shuffles back a few steps. With slow movements and speaking to him in a quiet voice, I take a seat on the floor in front of his kennel. I wait until his curiosity wins out over his fear, and he inches closer. It takes time, but I have nowhere else to be, so I wait him out.

Noticing the scars and the half-missing ear, I beat back the anger that tries to rise in my chest. Animals sense those things, and I don’t want to scare him. Breathing slow and even breaths, I succeed, and he continues inching closer. When he’s within a foot of the front of the kennel, he drops to his belly. His eyes never leave mine, and I know he’s waiting to see if his show of trust will be abused.

Slowly, I put the back of my hand against the kennel and wait. After a few long moments, he leans close enough to sniff it. Still not moving, I wait. Eventually, I feel his wet tongue lick my hand before pulling back to a safe distance. I tell him what a good boy he is and watch as his tail gives a small wag.

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