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there like
that.” She grabbed the morning’s newspaper, shredded some of it, put it in the
cage, and took the bird from Maddie and placed it inside. She then hooked up
Bunny’s old water bottle, and after washing her hands, took out some crackers
and smashed them into small bits and placed them on a paper plate for the bird.
    “That’s all we can do for now,” Jamie said. “We have to get you to school
and me to work.” She sat down in the chair next to Maddie. “Listen sweetie,
we’re going to hope that our little friend here lives so it can get better and
we can turn it loose, but I don’t know for sure if it will get better. I can’t
promise you. I want you to know that.”
    “I want to keep it.”
    “I know. Let’s see how it does. Okay? Now run on upstairs, wash your
hands and brush your teeth. We have to haul booty.”
    Jamie
thought about the baby bird off and on all day, her fingers crossed that it
survived. She’d put the cage out on the back patio where it would have some
sunlight, but also a little shade from a couple of hanging ferns. Now as she
pulled into the garage, Jamie’s fingers were still crossed.
    Please let it be alive. Jamie had such good news to share with
Nathan—thus the exciting part of the day. After working at The Wine Lover’s
Magazine for seven years, today she had been promoted to editor-in-chief!
Yes! Yes! It was a position she’d coveted for quite some time and through
diligence and hard work, she’d made it. She’d finally arrived.
    She glanced to the back seat, where Maddie lay half asleep. Jamie got out
of the car, grabbed her briefcase, and started to lift her little girl from her
seat.
    “Hi, Mommy.” She rubbed her eyes and looked up at her mom, her baby blues
innocent and sparkly. “The birdie!” she said, remembering. She was wide awake
now and out of the car, heading for the back door.
    “Wait, Maddie. Wait, wait, let Mommy go first.” Too late. The back door
off the garage wasn’t locked and Maddie was through it before Jamie reached it.
She made it to the patio as quickly as possible and sighed when she caught the
smile on her daughter’s face.
    “Look, Mommy! It lived. Can I touch it?”
    “No, babe. Leave her be.” Jamie peered into the cage and could see that
the bird appeared much better and had eaten most of the crackers. What a great
way to end the day. Now Jamie could go ahead with her celebration plans for the
evening with Nate. If the bird hadn’t made it, Jamie knew that they would’ve
had one unhappy child on their hands in need of a night of
comforting—comforting that typically meant sleeping in Mommy and Daddy’s bed
and taking all of the bed while Mommy and Daddy scrunched up into their
corners.
    “Let’s leave the bird alone and go in and fix some dinner. Daddy will be
home soon.”
    “I want to watch it.”
    “Maddie.”
    Her daughter frowned. “Five minutes.”
    Jamie held up her hand. “Five and don’t touch her.”
    “I wanna name it. I wanna name it Lola, like on Charlie & Lola. ”
    “Lola it is.”
    Jamie walked back into the house, leaving the door open. The lemon scent
of cleaning products hit her now that she knew Lola seemed to be on the mend.
The housecleaners! God bless them. Today had been their day. Friday was Jamie’s
favorite day because she knew she’d return home to find the morning mess gone
upon their return. Bliss!
    “When is Daddy going to be home? I want to show him Lola,” Maddie
hollered from the patio.
    “Any minute!” Usually Nate made it home first. He must have gotten caught
in traffic. Maybe he stayed late? No, he would’ve let her know that by now. He
had to be in traffic. He’d show any minute. Time to pour two celebratory
glasses of wine and let it breathe. Then get Maddie’s dinner started so she
could get her daughter to bed early, new bird or not. Jamie had plans for her
husband.
    A little
celebration. And what went with celebrations? Veuve Clicquot . What a good idea. It was