knew exactly how he felt. I’d felt the same way a couple of times.
Parrot kicked some hay across the stall. “I should give him an ultimatum, just like you did. Find my mother or I’m leaving the Specialists.”
“You don’t want to do that. I made a huge mistake when I did that. There are other ways to handle your frustration. And I realize that now because of all the mess I got in with bulldogging my way to Barracuda Key and getting Eduardo.” I took a step toward him. “Please listen to me—”
Parrot spun toward me. “I’m tired of listening. I’m tired of doing what people want. I’m tired of not getting what I want.”
I put my hand over my heart, feeling his frustration all the way to the core of my soul. “I know what it’s like to lose a parent and to do anything for retribution or to get that parent back. Not many people can say they understand what you’re feeling, but you know I do. All of us here are like you in one way or another. None of us have homes, have families. You don’t want to leave. Please, please, please, listen to me and believe what TL has told you. He will find your mother.”
Parrot closed his eyes and dropped his head back. “I just want my life to make sense. I want things, for once, to come together for me.”
I closed the small distance between us. “I want the same thing. I want my life to make sense, too. I want to feel settled. I want to feel completed. Being here with all of you is the first time I’ve felt a smidgen of wholeness.” I grabbed his arm. “And I know you feel the same way. Trust that feeling. It’s a good thing. It’s right. You’re meant to be here.”
He opened his eyes and looked straight into mine.
“Don’t let personal emotions cloud your judgment. It’s okay to trust us, your team. We love you.” I smiled. “ I love you. I won’t let anything happen to you. Just like I know you won’t let anything happen to me.”
Parrot stared deep into my eyes, then reached out and pulled me into his arms.
I hugged him hard, hoping he felt my raw honesty. Hoping he made the right decision.
He pulled out of our hug a good solid minute later. “Who knew you’d turn out to be the resident psychologist?” he said, smiling.
We both chuckled at that.
Parrot nodded. “I’m going to do this mission. And afterward, if TL still hasn’t found my mother, well, we’ll see.”
It wasn’t exactly what I had hoped to hear, but it was something. And I understood where Parrot was coming from. Now all I could do was hope that he decided to stay, and I wondered if I could somehow help find his mom.
later that night, I went for a walk. With all the talk about Parrot’s family, I was missing my parents a lot. I needed to clear my head. As I made my way out of the ranch into the yard, I found David near the pool. With a three-quarters moon and a clear sky full of stars, it cast a romantic aura over the quiet night.
He lay on a lounge chair staring up at the stars, and as I approached, he lifted his head and smiled.
Holding out his hand, David nodded me toward him, and I crawled onto his lounge chair. Neither one of us spoke a word as we lay side by side, holding hands, staring up at the sky.
Some time later, he pulled me close, and I rested my cheek on his chest.
He let out a long sigh. “I’ll miss you,” he whispered, and minutes later began breathing heavy.
I listened to him sleep, smiling. I’d miss him, too.
One week later, I met TL and Parrot at the elevator hidden behind the mural. We were scheduled to begin our inoculations.
Nothing like a good needle to start your day out right.
Jonathan walked up. “Everybody ready to get stuck?”
We all smiled.
The elevator opened, and we boarded at the ranch level. TL pulled what looked like
Parrot kicked some hay across the stall. “I should give him an ultimatum, just like you did. Find my mother or I’m leaving the Specialists.”
“You don’t want to do that. I made a huge mistake when I did that. There are other ways to handle your frustration. And I realize that now because of all the mess I got in with bulldogging my way to Barracuda Key and getting Eduardo.” I took a step toward him. “Please listen to me—”
Parrot spun toward me. “I’m tired of listening. I’m tired of doing what people want. I’m tired of not getting what I want.”
I put my hand over my heart, feeling his frustration all the way to the core of my soul. “I know what it’s like to lose a parent and to do anything for retribution or to get that parent back. Not many people can say they understand what you’re feeling, but you know I do. All of us here are like you in one way or another. None of us have homes, have families. You don’t want to leave. Please, please, please, listen to me and believe what TL has told you. He will find your mother.”
Parrot closed his eyes and dropped his head back. “I just want my life to make sense. I want things, for once, to come together for me.”
I closed the small distance between us. “I want the same thing. I want my life to make sense, too. I want to feel settled. I want to feel completed. Being here with all of you is the first time I’ve felt a smidgen of wholeness.” I grabbed his arm. “And I know you feel the same way. Trust that feeling. It’s a good thing. It’s right. You’re meant to be here.”
He opened his eyes and looked straight into mine.
“Don’t let personal emotions cloud your judgment. It’s okay to trust us, your team. We love you.” I smiled. “ I love you. I won’t let anything happen to you. Just like I know you won’t let anything happen to me.”
Parrot stared deep into my eyes, then reached out and pulled me into his arms.
I hugged him hard, hoping he felt my raw honesty. Hoping he made the right decision.
He pulled out of our hug a good solid minute later. “Who knew you’d turn out to be the resident psychologist?” he said, smiling.
We both chuckled at that.
Parrot nodded. “I’m going to do this mission. And afterward, if TL still hasn’t found my mother, well, we’ll see.”
It wasn’t exactly what I had hoped to hear, but it was something. And I understood where Parrot was coming from. Now all I could do was hope that he decided to stay, and I wondered if I could somehow help find his mom.
later that night, I went for a walk. With all the talk about Parrot’s family, I was missing my parents a lot. I needed to clear my head. As I made my way out of the ranch into the yard, I found David near the pool. With a three-quarters moon and a clear sky full of stars, it cast a romantic aura over the quiet night.
He lay on a lounge chair staring up at the stars, and as I approached, he lifted his head and smiled.
Holding out his hand, David nodded me toward him, and I crawled onto his lounge chair. Neither one of us spoke a word as we lay side by side, holding hands, staring up at the sky.
Some time later, he pulled me close, and I rested my cheek on his chest.
He let out a long sigh. “I’ll miss you,” he whispered, and minutes later began breathing heavy.
I listened to him sleep, smiling. I’d miss him, too.
One week later, I met TL and Parrot at the elevator hidden behind the mural. We were scheduled to begin our inoculations.
Nothing like a good needle to start your day out right.
Jonathan walked up. “Everybody ready to get stuck?”
We all smiled.
The elevator opened, and we boarded at the ranch level. TL pulled what looked like
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