Blackbird Flies by Chynna T. Laird

Author:Chynna T. Laird
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781936852161
Publisher: Astraea Press

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Even with the slight chill in the breeze, it was a perfect picnic day. They found a spot under a group of oak trees, spread out the blanket then emptied the basket. Not much conversation went on, but that was fine. They were there early enough that not many other people were around so that suited him just fine. Blue jays called to each other, a squirrel tried coming up to steal a sandwich, and Lily sat eating her lunch while staring at the man-made lake with a tiny fountain beside them.

“Water is so calming,” she said.

“Yeah. I sorta know what you mean.”

“I’ve always loved the water. Waterfalls, the sound of it coming up to the shore, river music…”

In that moment, she seemed to make his heart warm. There was definitely more depth to this girl than he thought.

“’River music’? Now who’s being cheesy?”

She faced him, cocking her head. “I called you a doofus, not cheesy.”

“Actually, you did call me cheesy. And isn’t that about the same?”

“No. A doofus is being a dork, and being cheesy means you’re being mystical or romantic.”

“Hey, I’m fine with being a doofus-dork. Are you saying you’re being mystical and romantic, Miss Lily?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Her face crimsoned. “You wish.”

They ate the rest of their meal in silence, listening to the sounds of the water fountain, then packed up.

“Wanna go for a little walk before heading home?” Payton suggested.

She shrugged. “Guess so. But I gotta be back soon or my dad will call in the military.”

“Hey, that’s fine. I’m pretty much ‘in’ with those people.”

He picked up the picnic basket, and started walking toward the lake. Oddly, he was a water person too. His mother always loved the sounds of nature and running water. Her family had a cabin and he vaguely remembers the sounds of the lake ebbing up against the shore while he splashed away in his mini pool on the dock. It was always so comforting, somehow. And it had the same effect on his mother.

His mother.

He shook his head to remove the thoughts, then guided Lily over to a bench right in front of the lake. She seemed mesmerized. Or deep in thought. He couldn’t tell, being the ‘ladies’ man’ he sure as heck wasn’t.

“So, what are you thinking about, Miss Lily?”

She stayed silent for a few seconds, then said, “My mom.”

An icy chill exploded in his stomach when he remembered he’d had the same thoughts earlier. “What about her?”

“The last thing we did before she died was come here…just like this. We had a picnic, talked about stuff, then sat here just like this…feeding the ducks.”

Payton had no idea what to say. Right then, he totally felt like the doofus she thought he was.

“I…I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories or anything.”

She grabbed his hand. “No. You didn’t. Honestly. I mean, the reason I was a bit nervous coming out here was because I was afraid of the memories. But you know what? It was a good thing.

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