I nearly flail right off the roof, and fling a few French fries at him. “Dude—do that again and we’re having roast hawk for dinner!”
He screeches and hops over to the fries, gobbling them up as he watches me. I guess I should be glad he’s still alive—and that he has good taste in snacks—but it’s easier to like him when his beady eyes aren’t glaring.
Audra whistles something, and he flaps his wings and takes off toward the date grove.
“I told him to leave us alone,” she tells me.
“Alone is good,” I whisper, reaching up to wipe a spot of ketchup off her face.
I’m trying to decide if I should kiss her, or let her finish her burger. She makes the decision for me, grabbing my face and pulling me to her.
As soon as our lips meet, it’s like breathing clear air. Or when the sun finally breaks through on a cold, stormy day.
The leftover darkness haunting me from the battle fades with each press of her lips, and I kiss her back, hoping I can erase anything her mother did.
When we finally pull away, the sun’s much higher in the sky, and the sweltering heat is starting to settle in.
“Do you want to go inside?” she asks, waving a fly out of her eyes.
“Maybe in a minute. Right now, I just want to enjoy this.”
She scoots closer to me, resting her head on my shoulder, and we both stare at the bright puffy clouds and listen to the wind.
It sings about new beginnings, and that’s exactly what this is.
The first day of our every day.
With nothing but clear skies ahead.