Chapter One Hundred Eleven: The New Addition
The idea came from Lily, as most chaotic ideas did.
"Mama," she said one morning, "I want another pet."
Lina was making breakfast. She did not look up. "We already have Sprinkles and Sunflower."
"Sprinkles is a dog. Sunflower is a hamster. I want a cat."
"You're allergic to cats."
"I'm not allergic to cats."
"You sneeze every time you visit Maya's house."
"That's because Maya's cat is dusty."
Lina looked at her daughter—flour on her shirt, syrup in her hair, a determined expression on her face. She was twelve now, almost a teenager, but some things never changed.
"Cats are not dusty," Lina said.
"Dusty cats are dusty."
Lina sighed. "We're not getting a cat."
Lily crossed her arms. "Then I want a bird."
"A bird?"
"They're small. They're quiet. They don't make you sneeze."
Lina looked at Ethan, who was standing in the doorway, smiling.
"A bird," Ethan said. "I like that idea."
Lina sighed again. "Fine. We'll get a bird."
Lily cheered.
Leo, who had been reading a book at the kitchen table, looked up. "Birds are messy."
Lily uncrossed her arms. "I'll clean up after it."
"You won't."
"Will too."
"Will not."
Lina held up her hands. "We'll get a bird. We'll put the cage in the living room. We'll deal with the mess."
Leo sighed. "Fine. But I'm not cleaning the cage."
"You're cleaning the cage."
"I'm not."
"You are."
Leo looked at Lina. "Mama, tell her I'm not cleaning the cage."
Lina held up her hands. "I'm staying out of this."
Leo sighed again.
Lily cheered.
The bird debate began.
---
The search for the perfect bird took weeks.
Lily wanted a parrot. Leo wanted a quiet one. Ethan wanted one that was already trained (which, Lina informed him, was not how birds worked). Lina wanted something small and unlikely to escape.
They compromised on a small parakeet with blue feathers and a cheerful chirp.
Lily named her Sky.
Leo called her "the avian."
Ethan called her "beautiful."
Lina called her "a lot of work."
Sky chirped.
She was home.
---
The first few weeks were chaos.
Sky escaped three times. She flew around the penthouse, landing on lamps and curtain rods and the top of the refrigerator. Sprinkles barked at her. Sunflower hid in her cage. Lily cried. Leo took notes.
"I told you," Leo said.
"You did not," Lily replied.
"I did."
"You did not."
"I did."
Lina intervened. "It doesn't matter who told who. We have a bird. We're keeping the bird. We're teaching her to stay in her cage."
The twins nodded.
Sky chirped.
She had no idea what she had done.
---
Lina bought a larger cage.
It was made of strong wire and had a secure locking mechanism that Sky could not open. Leo designed the layout. Ethan built the perches. Lily decorated it with glitter and stickers.
"This is the best bird cage in the world," Lily said.
"It's adequate," Leo said.
Lina looked at her children—Lily, covered in glitter; Leo, holding a blueprint.
"It's perfect," she said.
The twins smiled.
Sky chirped.
---
Sky settled in.
She stopped escaping. She learned to sit on Lily's shoulder. She let Leo pet her. She tolerated Sprinkles. She ignored Sunflower.
Lily was thrilled.
"I told you," she said.
"You did not," Leo replied.
"I did."
"You did not."
"I did."
Lina sighed.
Sky chirped.
Some things never changed.
---
The Bond
Sky chose Lily.
It was obvious from the beginning. The bird followed her around the room. She sat on Lily's shoulder. She chirped when Lily talked.
"I love her," Lily said.
"I know," Lina replied.
"She loves me too."
"I know."
Lily looked at her mother. "Thank you for letting me have her."
Lina pulled her into her arms.
"Thank you for being responsible," she said.
Lily hugged her back.
"I'm trying," she said.
Lina smiled.
"That's all any of us can do," she said.
---
The Chaos
The penthouse was louder now.
Sky chirped. Sprinkles barked. Sunflower ran on her wheel. The twins argued. Ethan burned dinner. Lina juggled work and school and the endless demands of a household that never stopped.
But it was home.
Chaotic and loud and wonderful.
Lina stood in the kitchen, watching her family—Lily, playing with Sky; Leo, reading a book; Sprinkles, begging for scraps; Sunflower, running on her wheel; Ethan, making a mess of dinner.
"I love you," she said.
No one heard her.
But that was okay.
She knew.
They knew.
That was enough.
---
End of Chapter One Hundred Eleven