When the Heart Finds Christmas by Annalisa Russo

Author:Annalisa Russo [Russo, Annalisa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance, fantasy, Christmas
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Published: 2018-08-18T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

“It’s not goin’ very well, Sir.”

“~/~/~/~”

“You think I’ve been too subtle? I’m doin’ my best.”

“~/~/~/~”

“Thanks, Sir. I appreciate the compliment, but I think I should change tactics…yeah, be more plain speakin’.”

“~/~/~/~”

“Uh-huh. I see. More dramatic, like Boo.”

“~/~/~/~”

“I got an idea. What do you think about…”

****

Cleo was back at the pond again. It must have been close to dawn as the glow over the water glimmered softly and the quiet of evening evaporated. Glancing over her shoulder, she confirmed Barkley snored on the foot of the bed. With a deep breath, she walked toward the water.

A cool breeze ruffled her nightgown and sent goosebumps up and down her arms. The current sunlight had not yet burned off the mist that hung low over the water. Small ripples to her left caught her eye. Following them, she noticed an unusual exotic bird floating toward her. Awestruck by its beauty, she knelt on the bank and waited for the creature to draw closer.

The bird was…stunning. Adjectives were inept to describe it. The creature was beyond anything she’d ever seen—colors she couldn’t put a name to blended and swirled over its feathers, eyes so deep they seemed endless, the scent of the wild so overpowering she knew the creature could never be contained—it was the Michelangelo of birds.

“Who do you think made this here bird, Boo?’

She turned her head to notice Melah walking toward her on the shore. “I don’t know. Maybe it just evolved, like other animals did.”

“Yep, could have, but isn’t she somethin’? So perfect, so beautifully marked with exactly the right colors?” She sat beside her, took off her red socks, and rolled up the legs of her tie-dyed bib overalls. She strode into the water and bent to run a hand over the bird’s feathers. “Ain’t she pretty?”

“I’ve never seen a bird like this, not even in a zoo. She—” Cleo frowned. “How d’you know it’s a she? Oh, never mind. You know everything.” She watched the animal preen and extend its wings as Melah ran a fingertip over its feathers. Drops of water scattered off her like diamonds and dazzled the senses.

“Ain’t you wondering who made such a creature?”

“I told you. It probably evolved from some other creature a billion years ago.”

“Hmm…you could be right. I just wonder how somethin’ so perfect coulda happened by chance. You gotta admit, she’s perfect, just perfect. If I throw a bunch of marbles on the ground, what pattern would I get? Sometimes it could look good, or sometimes it’s just a mess.” Melah strode back, sat on the ground, and stretched out her legs.

“This is my dream, and I’m not crazy about having a philosophical conversation with a ghost, but I’m going to ask anyway. I guess you believe in some divine being who made all this.” Cleo waved her arms around. “What if there wasn’t anyone who always was and always will be?” She thought her question deserved an answer. Nothing had ever convinced her there was something other than the here and now.

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