Broken Wings (35 page)

The little girl grabbed her father’s hand and they strolled out of the barn together.

*  *  *  *

As they rode through the trail in the woods surrounding the little blue cottage, Daniel once again made sure the container with the bird was securely fastened to the ATV. Behind him, he could feel his daughter hugging her small arms around his waist as he very slowly made his way along the cleared path.

After five minutes, the ATV emerged in a large clearing. In the center of the clearing, a tall beige metal building stood with wide windows and a shiny tin roof. A sign above the door of the building read “Second Chance Wildlife Rehabilitation Education Center.”

Just as Daniel pulled the four-wheeler up to the side of the building, two large metal doors flew open and a group of teenagers came barreling outside. They eventually made their way over to some picnic tables under a group of trees not far from the edge of the building.

“I guess Auntie Carol’s class got out early,” Daniel said as he grabbed his daughter from behind him and placed both her feet on the ground next to the ATV.

He handed her the container. “Here, hold Mrs. Bird while I take off your helmet,” he instructed as he waited for the child to grab hold of the plastic box with both hands. Once he knew she had a firm grip on the container, he lifted the red helmet from her head.

“Hey, you two,” Carol called out as she started down the steps from the building.

She came alongside the ATV. “What you got there, Bits?” Carol asked as she eyed the plastic box.

“Mrs. Bird. I wanted to show her to Mommy,” Bitsy said as she looked up into Carol’s face. “Oh, yeah.” She rolled her big gray eyes. “Uncle Ian fell asleep on the couch again. Daddy says he’s tired all the time because he married you. Is that true?”

Carol grinned at Daniel. “Well, honey, Uncle Ian is just catching up on his rest. Maybe he’s still tired from the wedding. It was a really big wedding after all. You remember. You were my flower girl.” Carol leaned over and tickled the little girl.

Bitsy started wiggling and giggling as she tried to get away from Carol’s fingers.

Daniel grabbed the box holding the bird from his daughter before she dropped it.

After Carol stopped tickling her, Bitsy turned to her father. “Can I go see Mommy now?”

Daniel nodded. “Go on. Aunt Carol and I will be right behind you.”

Daniel watched as his daughter took off around the side of the building.

“Do you think she understands?” Carol asked as she watched Bitsy running on ahead.

Daniel glanced down at the bird nestled comfortably in the container in his hands. “She knows something isn’t right, but what do you tell her? She’s only five, Carol. How do you explain death to a five-year-old?” He turned from Carol and headed after Bitsy.

Carol shrugged as she fell in step beside him. “Try starting with the truth,” she suggested.

“The truth?” Daniel raised his dark brows at her. “Somehow I don’t think the truth is going to help explain why Ian falls asleep every time he comes over to the house.”

Carol laughed. “You’re right. Let’s just keep her in the dark for a few more years on that one, shall we?”

“Just give Ian a break; I think you’re killing him.”

“Hey, the fertility doctor said we need to do it as often as possible if we’re going to get pregnant,” Carol explained.

Daniel stopped and shook his head. “Carol, please. I have enough nightmares rolling around in my head without adding you and Ian to the mix.”

Carol halted in front of him and looked up into his face. “Do those nightmares still include Bob? The other day when you were on the phone with Pamie’s father, I overheard you telling him that you’re going to make a statement at that Bar Association meeting against reinstating Bob Patrick’s attorney privileges.”

“Doc and I both feel the man should never be allowed to practice law again after what he did to her,” he growled as he walked around her.

Carol turned and tried to catch up with him. “Bob paid his dues, Daniel. He lost his law practice, his house, his powerful friends, and eventually one year of his freedom. I don’t think even Pamie would have wanted him to suffer that much for pushing her to the ground,” she asserted as she came alongside of him.

As they rounded the corner of the building they came across a small graveyard. Set at the edge of the clearing against the green woods, hand made crosses and makeshift headstones of rocks with names carved into them were arranged in rows behind a black iron fence.

Daniel anxiously gazed about the small cemetery. “Where is she?”

Just as he was about to call out for his daughter, a slender, blond woman emerged from the brush next to the cemetery holding his daughter’s hand. When she saw Daniel and Carol standing at the edge of the iron fence, she waved.

Daniel watched as Pamela walked hand in hand with Bitsy to a fresh grave. In Pamela’s left hand were some wildflowers. As she kneeled before the grave and placed the flowers on top of it, a ray of sunlight reflected off the gold wedding band on her left hand.

Bitsy tilted her head to the side as she pondered the grave for a moment. “Is Rodney resting now, Mommy?” she eventually asked.

Pamela caressed her daughter’s pink cheek. “Yes, baby. Rodney is happy now. He’s free.”

“Will we see him again?” Bitsy persisted.

“One day, most definitely,” Pamela proclaimed. “Love never dies, Bits. It goes on forever.”

“She wanted to show you Mrs. Bird,” Daniel said as he walked up to Pamela and leaned over to kiss her cheek. “You all right, Mrs. Phillips?” He worriedly searched her gray eyes.

“I’m good, Mr. Phillips,” she reassured him.

He handed her the plastic container.

“What’s going on with Mrs. Bird?” Pamela queried as she cradled the box in her lap.

“She’s ready to fly away, Mommy,” Bitsy told her.

Pamela gazed up at Daniel. “Are you sure the broken wing is healed?”

He nodded at the container. “All healed. She’s good to go.”

“So can she fly now, Mommy?” Bitsy eagerly questioned.

Pamela looked from her daughter’s angelic face to Daniel’s dark brown eyes. “Yes, baby, she can fly now. It’s time to let her have her chance to spread her wings and try to touch the sky.”

The End

About the Author

Alexandrea Weis is a registered nurse from New Orleans who has been writing novels and screenplays for over twenty years. Her first novel, To My Senses, was a finalist for commercial fiction in Eric Hofer Book Awards, a finalist for romance in the Foreword Magazine Book of the Year awards, and a finalist for romance in the USA Book Awards. Her second novel, Recovery, was ranked #1 on the Amazon top rated for romantic suspense in kindle books. Buyer Group International, an independent production company in Austin, has optioned the motion picture rights for Recovery.

Ms. Weis is also a permitted wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries and when she is not writing, Ms. Weis is rescuing orphaned and injured wildlife. She lives outside of New Orleans with her husband and a menagerie of pets.