Splendid Fall

Ch. 39 I'll be home for dinner

Chapter 39

As Birdie laid in bed with the lights off, she could still hear her grandmother and father bickering downstairs. Somewhere in between Maya had come upstairs to check in on Birdie, but the girl had pretended to be asleep and laid as still as she could. Birdie didn't let go of the breath she was holding until Ira's voice disappeared and her presence was taken out with the wind. The whole house grew quiet and the night grew dark.

Birdie turned to her side to stare out the large windows looking out to the forest. She could see the glow from the garden lights below as the trees swayed in the dark. Her eyes were dry and her nose was stuffy. She couldn't breath, yet she had no desire to move her body. When she heard the first pebble hit the glass window, it was almost as if the small rock had knocked on her chest.

Birdie's eyes closed. She prayed she didn't have to get up. She bit down her lips and laid still as the second pebble came a few seconds later...and then the third one...

I know you're not asleep.

Birdie's eyes watered as the familiar voice entered her mind-link. With a heavy heart, she rose from the bed and walked over to the window. Each step she took was painfully slow and cautious. Her skin shivered from the cold as she touched the glass and looked down.

You, my darling, are a sight for sore eyes. Adan smiled as he stood in the middle of the garden looking up at the second floor window.

Birdie couldn't help the sob that rose to her lips. She covered her mouth as fresh tears poured out of her like hot sticky guilt.

No, no, no, Adan pushed off the ground and floated over to the window. Don't cry.

Birdie shook her head. She leaned her head against the glass as Adan held up his hand on the other side. His face crumbled with worry as she stood shivering with heavy sobs.

Step back, the jinn said gently as he slid the window open.

Birdie took a step back as the cool night air burst in through the window along with Adan.

"We have a door!" Heyder suddenly said from the other side of the house as he slammed his balcony window shut. "Use it!"

Adan chuckled as he closed Birdie's window and turned his attention towards the girl standing before him. He was at a loss for words as he stared at Birdie, taking her in like a man lost at sea. His chest grew heavy with emotion as his eyes came to rest on her face and the tears running down her eyes.

"Hi," Adan's voice shook.

Birdie tried to smile but it was all too painful. She couldn't look up at him.

"I..." Adan took a step forward but stilled as Birdie tensed. He slowly held out a hand and waited for her to look at him, "Can I hold you?"

Birdie wanted to take fifty steps back. She wanted the walls to swallow her or the ground to bury her. She could hear the longing in Adan's voice as he wanted for her to respond. He was a mess of emotions just as she was a mess of sorrow, guilt, and helplessness.

"Please," Adan said in the dark.

With her hands over her mouth, Birdie nodded, letting Adan know it was okay for him to step forward. She held her breath as he moved closer and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest with a deep sigh. She could feel his heart pounding in his chest beneath her hands, his breathing labored as he tried to absorb the moment as best as he could.

"I love you," Adan whispered against Birdie's ears. "I love you so much."

His declaration of love made the iron knife twist painfully in Birdie's chest. She felt defeated and lost as she stood in his embrace, crying for someone else.