I grab two mugs from the cupboard, and she fills them to the brim. I lean down and take a sip before lifting it and making my way to the living room, which is only a few steps from the kitchen.
“So, how are you?” Chrissy asks as she sits down next to me.
“I’m ok, I guess. It’s only been a few weeks.”
“I know that. I know you aren’t going to get over it quickly. You were with him for a year.”
“Yeah, a year I’ll never get back.”
I look out the slider doors to my feeders and see a couple of cardinals eating. They are always the first to come in the morning and the last to leave in the evenings.
Chrissy puts her hand on my knee, and I look at her, tears wanting to roll down my face.
“I’m here for you. Whatever you need.”
“Want to go on a nature walk with me?” She pulls back and puts her finger up, ticking it back and forth.
“Except that,” she says, and I give her my best fake frown.
“Oh, come on. What if I leave my binoculars at home?”
Her eyes squint, and she looks me over. “Maybe.”
We laugh and both take another drink from our mugs.
“I have to tell you something I have been thinking about.”
“OK,” she says with worry in her voice.
“I wanted Chad to go with me and had even started planning the trip, but now obviously that won't happen.”
“And what might that be?”
“It’s a bird tour.”
“What is a bird tour?”
“It’s a month-long trip around the US. We visit six different states for five days each. There are only thirty spots available.”
“And the point of this?”
“To bird watch.”
“So, you want to leave for a month…to bird watch?”
“Yes,” I say and smile big, hoping it shows her how happy it would make me.
She grabs her mug and drinks the rest before filling it again and emptying the bottle.
“You’re such a nerd.”
“Hey, that’s bird nerd to you.”
Chrissy grabs the empty bottle of wine and throws it away before pulling a fresh bottle from the fridge.
“I would start in North Carolina, then go to Florida, Texas, California, Oregon and the last stop is in Montana.”
She stops in front of me before sitting. “Wow. You’re really considering this?”