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watched with her as a mother eagle tended to her babies in a nest. The image was gray and grainy. There was no sound. No action . . . it was the last thing he’d choose to watch.
    “Weird,” Sean muttered. He turned back toward the closet door and picked up the flowers he’d laid down, and then with sincerity he offered them to his wife. “Happy Mother’s Day.”
    Allyson took the flowers and smelled them. Then . . . came the tears.
    Her shoulders shuddered like a tree in a storm. “That’s really sw-sweet.” Her words came out as a sob.
    Had he done something wrong? “Hon, what? They’re just flowers.”
    “I’m gonna get up and clean. I’m gonna get up and clean.” It looked as if she was forcing herself to hold back her tears. “I’m going to go right now. Here we go.” Then she wiped away a tear and sat there, not moving an inch.
    Sean waited, unsure what to do, what to say, how to help. He traveled for work often, and at first Allyson had seemed able to keep down the fort. But lately? As the kids had gotten older it seemed the three of them had teamed up on her. He’d been getting more and more desperate calls and frantic texts from his wife—and it wasn’t like he could do much when he was away. And now that he was back—Sean still didn’t know what he could do to help.
    “I’m trying to make myself get up—to clean—but nothing’s happening. I’m stress paralyzed,” she finally said.
    Sean scratched his cheek and eyed her. “I don’t think that’s a thing.”
    “It’s not?” A mix between a sob and a roar emerged from Allyson’s lips. That was new. After all the years they’d been married he hadn’t seen anything like this before. He’d seen her “moments,” but never a moment like this.
    “Well, it might be a thing.”
    “I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine.” She lifted her hands into the air, as if in surrender. “I ju-just need a second.”
    “I don’t think you’re fine.” And he really didn’t.
    Her eyes focused on something near her feet. “I am, and ohhhh!” Her words were part excitement, and part despair.
    Allyson reached down and picked up a pair of glittery strapped shoes, holding them in awe. It was as if she was a grizzled miner who’d just discovered a chunk of gold. Her mouth gaped open.
    “I love these shoes. I haven’t worn these in, like, in two years!”
    “Uh.” Sean cocked an eyebrow. “Well, they’re uh, they’re good shoes.”
    “They made my legs look so good!” Sobs emerged with her words and more tears. “I’m okay; I’m going to be fine.”
    “Honey, come on. It’s okay. We’ll make it okay. But . . .”
    That’s when she came to him, falling into his arms, relaxing into him as if she’d been waiting for this. Waiting for him to hold her up.
    “I love you,” she murmured. Two heartbeats later she was out. Asleep.
    “I love you too.” Sean’s words were met with a soft snore.
    He held her close, and then looked at the screen. “It’s like an eagle, right?” he said, realizing Allyson was in la-la land and could no longer hear.
    An eagle tending to her chicks . . . just like Allyson.
    ***
    “Oh, not again with the bird!” Ray’s voice blurted out as Sondra leaned over and looked at her computer. A soft smile curled on her lips, and a deep peace settled within. She didn’t understand her obsession with this bird, and she didn’t worry about understanding it.
    Ray poured a cup of coffee and leaned close, peering over her shoulder. “You’re watching a bird! It’s a bird,” he declared again.
    She sighed and waved them away. “It’s live! I might miss something.”
    Ray didn’t seem to be listening, instead he shuffled around the kitchen, looking around the counter and opening drawers. “Hey. Have you seen my keys? I’ve looked everywhere for—”
    Sondra held them up. Her eyes remained fixed on the computer, on the birds.
    “I just don’t ge—” His words paused as the mother eagle landed with a fish