A Time For Love (A Time For Love Series-Book 1)

Bird's Visitor

"Bird! I'm so glad I could come see you! I didn't know what happened to you! I only saw it on the news, and when they wheeled you out that night." Little Mariana says as she sits beside Frankie in the girl's hospital room as the two smile at each other.

It was true that Mariana and her family had no idea what happened to Bird after she was wheeled out of the apartment and put into the ambulance along with the three cops. The scene had been devastating to everyone in the building on that horrible rainy night last April, and Mariana had been rather depressed because she didn't know if her friend would die or not.

Her family had been following the case with the news, and the little girl had begged and begged her parents to let her visit Bird, but the family felt it was too early. They weren't sure of her little friends condition, but after almost nine months, her grandmother agreed to take her.

"I'm glad you could see me too! But it was on the news?" Bird asks as Mariana nods her head.

"Yeah, it was. Saying that one cop lady died. And that that asshole Randy died too, and some other guy. I wanted to see you sooner but my parents said we had to wait for you to heal and be okay. Are you okay now?"

"Yeah. I'm better than I was. Way better. I had to learn how to do a lot of stuff again. I'm still learning how to play ball, and I just started to walk again." Bird says as Mariana looks at her with a worried expression.

"You got shot?"

"Yeah."

"Did it hurt?"

"I don't remember getting shot, I think I passed out because I woke up here. But when I did wake up, I felt a lot of pain. He shot me in the legs and arm."

"What a piece of shit. I hope he rots in hell for what he did, Bird. He was so awful to you and your mom. Like the worst piece of trash there is."

"I know. She um...she died too." Bird says as Mariana's face grows sad and she grabs her friends hand.

"I'm sorry, Bird. I didn't know."

"It's okay. I found out a few weeks ago. But, yeah."

"Where will you go? Foster care?" She asks, making a face as Bird shakes her head.

"No. Thank freakin god I don't need to. Remember the cop Stef? The one who bought us the chips and the one I ran from?"

"Yeah, I saw her on the news, too. They showed her police photo. Did she die?"

"No, no. She was hurt really bad. But she...she saved me that night."

"She did? That's so nice of her!"

"It was, but our physical therapist, Lena, the one you just met, is going to foster me. And Stef is gonna help raise me, too. She's gonna be my Mama."

"Wow, really?! Are you gonna have a cop as a mom? You can't skip school anymore, Bird!" Mariana jokes as Bird laughs, shaking her head. "That's so cool, though! I didn't know if she was alive because the news said she got shot in the head. Abuela prayed for her and that other cop that died. What about the guy?" She moves closer to her friend as Bird smiles.

"Mike? He's okay, too. He's gonna help raise me, too. And when I go home with Lena, I'm sure she will let you come over. She said I could have a sleepover if I wanted. Her and Stef are really fun, and Mike is good at basketball, too. He's gonna be a cop again, too, and Lena is gonna help Stef be a cop if she wants to do that again."

"That's so fun, and I totally want to come over! I'm so glad you are okay, Bird. I was really sad. But, does Lena do drugs? Is she nice?" She whispers now, for she knew the woman was outside the door and didn't want her to hear.