“No. All I know about Richie is that he broke up with you and went to school in France. I mean, I figured if you wanted me to know more you would have told me.”
“Ah, right. I’ve not thought of him for a while. You know. For a lot of reasons.”
Teagan’s eagle preened.
“But, circus?”
“Well, the school he went to in France was the École Philippe Gaulier. Which is a famous school for clowning.”
Teagan stared at the road, putting this all together.
“So when Tabbie calls himthat fucking clown–”
“Tabbie needs to stop saying it like that. He really did go off to chase his dream, and you know? I’m glad. He has the life he always wanted.”
She paused, and then she squeezed his thigh almost shyly.
“And I got something I never knew I needed.”
Teagan pulled off the road, reaching over to tug Ros into his arms. Even after two years together, kissing her was a revelation, and she gasped with pleasure, twining her arms around his neck.
“All this for me?” she asked, and he nuzzled her one last time before pulling back.
“Always, but also, we’re here.”
He nodded over to the enormous ancient tree that stood up lonely against the sky. Its leaves were small and thick, a pale dull green that made the birds perched in the thick branches even more obvious.
“Oh, it’s them,” Ros breathed.
As they watched, the fire condors shook out their feathers in the dawn light, stretching up, shaking their heads and spreading out their wings. Then, as if on some signal, they leaped into the sky, vivid flashes of gold against the blue, and Ros grabbed Teagan’s hand as they winged overhead, gorgeous and vital and back where they belonged.
Teagan watched the birds fly, and then he turned to look at Ros’s rapturous face as she watched them. His love for her swelled up in his chest, and, reaching into his pocket, he opened his mouth to tell her so when there was a thump on the hood.
“Oh come on–” Teagan said, at the same time Ros squeaked “Is that–”
Junior had filled out in the last two years. He was almost the same size as his uncles and his father, but he still had a bit of the juvenile lankiness that had set him apart back in Wisconsin. He twisted his head from side to side, regarding the two of them curiously.
“Er, Teagan, he’s looking at us really hard. Do you think he still–”
“He better not,” Teagan growled, and as if getting the message, Junior took off again to join the rest of the flock.
Ros burst into laughter, leaning against Teagan’s shoulder as she shook her head.
“Oh my God, can you imagine if he was still into me? That poor confused baby!”
“He’s growing up into a fine young male with hopefully an appropriate interest in his own species,” Teagan said dryly. “But honestly, I’m grateful he didn’t pull out the song and dance routine. I know how much you liked it–”
“I did not!”
“– And I can sing and dance, but not that well. I have to resort to other methods of formalizing our bond.”
Ros’s giggles petered off, and the silence stretched between them.
“Teagan?” she asked tentatively.
He pulled the small velvet box out of his pocket and opened it for her. There was a speech, actually a few of them he had written over the last few months. Right now, though, they flew out of his mind, and there was only one thing left.
“Will you marry me, Ros?”