Page 20 of Birds of a Feather

As if reading her mind, Lyla tried to put her at ease. “They will love you no matter what. This won’t break them.” She put a soft reassuring hand on Gabby’s arm.

Gabby nodded. Lyla was right. Aside from the cut on her neck when the doctors of WANC removed the tracking device, there wasn’t a mark on Gabby—except for the wings. But they didn’t really count as a wound since all the injuries from them developing had healed. They were just new—and a complication toward her re-entering society anytime soon, since they were so very hard to miss.

But she was working on getting used to life with them. Gabby found the most difficult part of living with them was trying to get cozy in bed. There was a reason birds slept on their bellies, nestled into their nests. Gabby considered shifting before bedtime so that she could sleep more comfortably.

That wasn’t all. Even getting through doorways had proven to be a challenge. That was a feat by itself. Gabby kept forgetting to tuck her wings in as she was ushered through the hospital halls earlier. She clipped her wings on every doorframe shecrossed. They would take some getting used to. Maybe one day she’d muster the courage to fly with them, though it would have to be limited to the airspace over FUCN’A so that no humans saw her.

Lynn popped her head into Gabby’s room, one pencil behind her ear and one in her mouth. “Are you ready?” she asked between chomps on the wood. Gabby didn’t think it was a good sign if Lynn felt she needed two pencils to chew on during her family meeting. Anxiety roiled the nausea in her gut.

“You got this.” Lyla put a hand on Gabby’s shoulder, reassuring her with a smile as if reading her thoughts.

That was enough to help Gabby feel she could accomplish anything, even another visit with her family.

“Would you…come with…with me?” Gabby asked, wondering if it was too soon to invite Lyla. The two hadn’t exactly put a label on what they were. Did it count as dating if they technically hadn’t gone on a first date yet?

To her relief, Lyla wasn’t taken aback by the offer. “I’d love to.” A warm smile brightened her face.

Introducing Lyla to her family should have been a big deal, but unfortunately, her wings took the spotlight.

“You look badass!” Phin proclaimed, his face lighting up with excitement. “Like a superhero.”

“Phin, don’t swear,” Kristin chastised him, though her worried expression hardly changed. They’d been warned of Gabby’s change before she’d arrived, but still, her mother’s glassy eyes scanned the wings as if trying to see whether it was some sort of prank, like a costume piece strapped to Gabby’s back instead of the new bone, flesh, and feathers jutting out.Being young, Phin probably didn’t fully understand Gabby’s new limitations. She would never fit into a human community again. Not unless the doctors figured out a way to reverse the transformation or a way that she could shift the wings away when needed. Both of which she doubted.

“Wings.” Joe scanned Gabby’s new appendages, though he didn’t appear as worried as Kristin. He smiled at his daughter, his blue eyes lighting up with pride. “Still beautiful.”

“I agree,” Lyla said, drawing a blush to Gabby’s cheeks. She smiled warmly at Gabby’s family in greeting.

This seemed to draw both parents’ attention to the additional visitor. “This is Lyla,” Gabby managed to say. Butterflies churned in her stomach. She hoped her family liked Lyla as much as she did.

“It’s nice to meet you, Lyla. Please, have a seat,” Kristin said, patting the couch next to her. She welcomed her with a grin.

“You’re… patient… too?” Joe asked.

“I am,” Lyla confirmed with a nod. “Hopefully once I get my energy back and they figure out the feather problem”—she waved at the pink feathers in her hair—“I’ll be able to leave.”

“Survived Sandy. Like us,” Gabby said, sitting on the other couch, next to her father, careful her wings didn’t bump into him.

“You’re safe.” Joe pulled Gabby in for a hug, squeezing her hard. “All that matters.” It felt good that Dad was able to wrap his strong arms around her again. It had been so long since he’d been able to embrace her.

“Maybe you could take me flying one day?” Phin clearly thought this was the coolest thing ever. She didn’t fault him for it though. And his positive view of her change helped lighten her mood a little.

Gabby glanced at her parents. Neither one of them would be okay with that. Even if she got used to her new appendages, theywouldn’t let her take Phin more than a few feet off the ground for fear he’d somehow fall. “Maybe.” She wasn’t sure what else to say. She glanced to her mom, hoping for some help.

“She may not be able to fly with them, honey. Gabby hasn’t tried yet. They might not support her weight. And she has more recovering to do before the doctors will let her try.” Mom with the perfect non-committed, vague answer. Kristin made saying no without really saying no an art form.

“Flying isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I hear you’re a mouse shifter. That’s pretty cool! Do you like cheese?” Lyla perfectly changed the subject.

Phin chuckled. “Why does everyone ask me that?” Lyla smoothed it over with a shrug as a sheepish look crossed her face.

“Huggie’s party?” Joe asked, with a raised eyebrow, glancing from Lyla to Gabby. Though he couldn’t fully say all the words he needed to, he was getting good at using non-verbal communication to assist.

“Yes. With date.” Gabby nodded toward Lyla while beaming. She was happy to share this news with them. The excitement bubbled up inside her, bringing a wide grin to her face. Her joyful words cut through the tense mood of the room.

“Wait. You’re a bird, too?” Phin asked Lyla.

“Yes. I’m a hummingbird.” She grinned, brightening up her beautiful face.

“Hummingbirds are small, like me!” Phin said, clearly pleased. “But I wish I had wings.”

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