Birds, Secrets, and Love

Chapter 3

 Tessa woke up early and leashed up Mouse. Holly stumbled into the kitchen and asked, "What are you doing up so early, you woke me up!". Tessa had woken up at 6:00am with her brain buzzing about the man in the parking lot. "I just feel energized today. Must be the fresh air. I'm gonna take Mouse to the park, want to come?", she suggested. "Noooo", Holly groaned and walked back into her room. Tessa put Mouse on her shoulder and walked to the nearest park.

The wind howled on this crisp autumn day. Mouse was loving the smells in the air. "Hold on tight", Tessa whispered to her falcon as the breeze grew stronger. Timberwood Point's unpredictable weather was one of the only things she didn't miss. However strong the wind was, they kept exploring her childhood park. She remembered playing tag with George and winning every time. He certainly had brains, but not so much brawn. She laughed to herself at the fond memories until a frazzled old man chasing his unleashed dog ran into her, knocking Mouse off of her shoulder and making her drop the leash. The wind carried the bird into the sky and out of sight. Still in shock, Tessa searched her brain for what to do next. "Owie ouchie sorry miss...", the old man grumbled. "'SORRY'? YOU JUST SENT MY FALCON INTO ORBIT!", Tessa exclaimed. "Maybe, just maybe, you'll thank me later", the senile old man said and winked. Tessa was fed up with him so she ran around the park, looking for her lost bird.

Hours passed but she didn't stop searching for her beloved pet. She kept her ringtone on in case someone found Mouse and called the number on his collar. As if by magic, her phone buzzed. She answered the call immediately, hoping for an ounce of good news. "Hello?", she inquired. "Hi, I think I have your bird", an italian voice replied. Could it be? Was this the same italian from the parking lot? "Thank goodness! I have been searching for that little rascal all day!", Tessa sighed. "I actually found him at the Timberwood Point Bird Sanctuary. Can you come by and pick him up now?", he asked. Tessa didn't have any other plans and she missed her little buddy so it was an obvious choice. "Yes! I'll come by right now", she said and then hung up.

Tessa entered the parking lot of the bird sanctuary and was astonished by the beautiful foliage around the opening. Bird-themed statues decorated the outskirts of the parking lot as well. She even spotted one statue that looked identical to Mouse. She entered the impressive building and walked up to the receptionist. "Hi, I'm looking for my pet falcon. I was told to come by and pick him up", Tessa announced. The graying old woman reviewed a paper Tessa assumed stated meeting times. "Oh, yes. Go down that hallway and make a right. Damiano has been expecting you, dear", the receptionist informed. Tessa followed her instructions and ended up in front of a door labeled: 'Lost & Found'. She pushed the door open, revealing Mouse on a table nibbling some cheese. She was so overwhelmed by the joy of reuniting with her pet, that she didn't notice the man standing behind the table. "Mouse!!!!", she exclaimed as she hugged her beloved falcon. Her eyes were suddenly met with those gorgeous chocolate brown eyes.

"Y-you must be Domino. Thanks for saving my Mouse! I'm Tessa by the way," she stammered, in bewilderment. It was the same man from the parking lot incident! "Are you ok? First of all, my name is pronounced 'Damiano' and this is a Prairie Falcon, not a mouse," Damiano replied, worried. "Oh, yes, of course! But, his name is Mouse though. I'm not crazy," she responded, trying her best to seem calm. Damiano gave her a look that said: 'I'll be the judge of that'. "So...Mouse seems to be perfectly healthy, but he had quite the scare. Do you mind if I do some calming falcon exercises?" Damiano said as he examined the bird. "Of course!", she responded, "Poor Mousie...". Damiano gripped the falcon and gently massaged it. Mouse purred and cooed like he was very much enjoying himself. "Wow, when was the last time he had a massage? He's so tense.," Damiano asked. "...Never? I didn't know bird massages were a thing," Tessa responded, nervously. "This is worse than I thought. How about you bring Mouse back every two days or whenever he feels stressed. I'll happily massage him for you," he offered. "Ooh! Could you do it for...free?," Tessa asked cautiously. Damiano thought about it for a while. "I'll do you something even better than that. I'll teach you how. Let's swap numbers and I can text you my address," he said. Tessa is internally freaking out by now. This random gorgeous guy is going to invite her over and he's a bird lover too! Is this fate?