Page 91 of Confessions of a High School Guidance Counselor

“Let’s go,” I said, even though she was already walking toward the car. She was a woman on a mission, and I had to lengthen my stride just to keep up.

We made it to the small dirt parking lot in a fourth of the time it had taken us to walk on the trail, and I held the door open for her so she could carefully slide inside. I even reached across her, doing the belt so she didn’t have to jostle the baby.

As soon as I got in, she said, “Head toward LA. There’s a vet that specializes in birds between here and there.”

I nodded, shifting the car into gear and taking off down the road. In Birdie’s lap, the little bird cheeped softly, and she cooed to it, talking so gently as if even her words could cause it to break.

“Hey, little guy,” she whispered. “I know it’s so scary to fall out of your nest and be away from your mommy. Cohen and I are taking you to the best of the best. Dr. Needermeier is going to take amazing care of you and get you back in the forest in no time. I promise.”

This woman was amazing. I couldn’t believe anyone had ever let her go. I promised myself I’d do my best to keep her as I quickly took the roads toward LA.

She told me which exit to take off the freeway, then guided me down city roads until we approached an animal hospital.

I wanted to help her out, but before I could even get to her side of the car, she was out and hustling toward the building.

The second we were inside, she greeted the receptionist by name and said, “We have a rescue.”

Judging by the way everyone jumped to action, I realized this wasn’t a new experience for any of them. My shoulders instantly relaxed as the veterinary technician promised Birdie they would care for it well and take it to the animal rescue as soon as its medical needs had been cared for.

Birdie transferred the bundle to the vet tech and looked at me. “Is it okay if they keep your shirt?”

All this worry for saving a bird and she was thinking of me? “Of course,” I said.

The vet tech turned to walk away, and Birdie said, “Wait, can I say goodbye?”

Of course she wanted to say goodbye.

She leaned over the small bundle and whispered softly to the bird, her eyes shining with tears.

I was utterly convinced Birdie put every other human to shame. I wasn’t sure what I would have done if I’d happened across the bird on my own, but I knew it wouldn’t have been greeted with a tenth of the love Birdie had shown it in the limited time we had with it.

I leaned over Birdie’s shoulder, looking at the pink bird, and rubbed her back. “You’re going to do great, little guy,” I promised. “Birdie found you for a reason.” Just like me.

49

Birdie

Confession: All future boyfriends require Grandpa’s approval.

Sunday morning, I woke up in bed next to him, fully naked and fully happy. His arm curled around my waist and his chin nuzzled into my shoulder blade, and I felt the steady rhythm of his breath play over my skin.

Yesterday had been a bigger day than either of us expected, but I’d loved the way he’d taken me seriously as we worked to save the bird. He could have easily dismissed it as a hopeless cause or gone along with it all just to appease me, but I’d seen it in his eyes. He’d truly cared, and that mattered to me more than he’d ever know.

My eyes caught paper on his nightstand, and I carefully leaned forward, curious what he’d been reading. I paged the top sheet over and began reading...

It was Emerson Academy’s bylaws, but with revisions and a speech to present to the school board.

My lips parted. Cohen was trying to change the school’s rules, just so he could be with me. It was possibly one of the sweetest things someone had ever done for me.

Slowly, I rolled over in his arms, kissing him awake.

He smiled into the kiss and in that delectably sexy morning voice said, “Morning, babe.”

Babe. I could have melted right then. “Good morning,” I sighed, the happiest I’d been since I couldn’t remember when.

“How’d you sleep?” he asked, eyes still closed.

I took in the peacefulness of his expression, the dark fringe of eyelashes and the small specks of gray in his morning scruff. “Really well. For how long I did sleep.”

---