Valentine's Day Present

“Did that just happen?” My friend murmured.

“Yeah.” I was in shock.

“How did that just happen?” She was still asking me, as if I had any answers to give.

“Don’t know.”

“I thought they gave a goldfish.”

“Normally.”

“But you got a -.”

“Yeah.”

A pause, and then she exploded, “WHAT JUST HAPPENED?”

I shrugged, still dazed.

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I walked into the house with the cage.

“Honey?” I called.

“In the front room with the boys.” I paused. I hadn’t even thought about how our three dogs would react to this new addition to the family.

“Could you keep a hold of T-bone, please?”

“Why?” I could hear the suspicion in his voice.

“Just…Please?”

I heard him sigh and waited until I heard the clip of the leash on T-bone’s collar. “All clear,” he called.

I entered the front room, and I saw my husband’s eyes zoom in on the covered cage I was carrying. Both dogs, the pit-bull T-bone and German shepherd Oberon also eyed the cage. “Do I want to know what that is?” He asked, warily.

I gave a strained smile. “I thought I was winning a goldfish.” I removed the cover cautiously, keeping my eyes on the dogs, but I could see the occupant from my periphery.

There was a stunned silence and then, “That’s an owl.”

“Yeah.”

“How?”

“I don’t know. I thought I was winning a goldfish.” I repeated, hoping that he wouldn’t explode and start yelling. The small barn owl was twisting its head around, but it kept bringing its head back to the two dogs. I saw Oberon’s ears fall back and he strained back towards my husband, while T-bone stood up as if he wanted a closer look. T-bone was always the more curious animal.

“Why were you trying to win a goldfish?” Of all the things for Cory to focus on.

“Well, we aren’t exactly a ‘normal’ couple, and it is Valentine’s Day.” I said sheepishly.

Cory laughed, “That is certainly unique.” He stood and walked towards the owl and me. T-bone followed, but Oberon climbed onto the couch, his upper body leaning over the back of the couch as if he were ready to jump over. “Very beautiful, aren’t you sweet thing?” He cooed at the bird. It scrutinized him but was still more interested in the pit-bull at our feet.

“So, what do you think?” I bite my lip, waiting for his response.

Cory chuckled, “Thank you, I guess. But I’m thinking this will be more your present than mine.”

I gave a small chuckle back and got down onto my knees. T-bone moved closer to the cage, sniffing it. His great huffs of air caused the owl to wriggle her feathers, but it didn’t give any signs or sounds of distress. After a few moments, I had Cory pull him away.

We agreed that the owl’s cage should stay in the library. Neither T-bone nor Oberon usually went in there, and the owl would have its own safe space when it was out of the cage.

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As the days progressed, it become clear that Fiona the owl and T-bone had a special bond. We had taken Fiona to the vet the day after I brought her home and followed every instruction by the letter. I never left the two animals alone, but I discovered that they were kindred souls in the arts of stealth.

In the morning, all the animals slept until noon, giving me time to work on whatever projects I had going on. After noon, the dogs would go outside and romp around or, especially in T-bone’s case, sunbathe on the back porch. Also giving me time to clean the house or work on projects.

When my ‘workday’ finished, usually around five in the evening, I would remove the cloth from Fiona’s cage. I would feed her in the cage with T-bone usually at my feet, and once she had enough, take the cage to the living room. Oberon was not interested in Fiona and so stayed far away from her, but T-bone I had to train to stay at the door, so that I could let Fiona out. I kept sharp eyes on him as she fluttered around the ceiling. I was so worried that he might try to snatch her out of the air that I sometimes forgot to watch her.

Over time, I noticed that T-bone would go to sleep in the doorway. Fiona would take those moments to investigate the pit-bull. I was always nervous, but T-bone always stayed very still. After a week, he would allow her a few moments before lifting his head to give her a sniff in return. Two weeks later, my husband would come home and find Fiona standing on T-bone’s back as he walked around the house. If we couldn’t hear Fiona flapping her wings in various rooms, or settled on the backs of furniture, or with me, watching TV, then it was clear she was with T-bone. I had found them a few times in my bedroom, him curled up in my bed with all the blankets, her sitting on him or on the bed frame nearby preening her feathers.

Just before bed, I would take Fiona into the library and closed the door, barring the dogs. I would read for a while, and Fiona would either flutter around or cozy up to me on my shoulder or head. I loved those moments because it felt like she was reading the story with me. My husband laughed at me one morning, because he wanted to know if I was reading her a bedtime story the night before. Fiona must have heard the exchange, because she coughed up a hair ball on his head later that night.

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“So, how’s the owl?” My friend asked a month later.

I laughed, “You will not believe this, but it’s going so well.”

“Really?”

“According to the vet-”

“There is a vet for owls?”

“Will you shut up and listen?” I said, kindly. She raised her hands in surrender. “According to the vet, she is a baby. So most of what she is doing is instincts and what she is learning from all of us. She’s very curious, likes to watch TV, and steals my wine.”

“She can drink wine?”

“I try not to let her have too much. She learned it from T-bone because he drinks out of Cory’s cups all the time. Remember, he is the reason that I have cups with lids. Which also reminds me, she lo-o-oves T-bone.”

“That’s good, right?”

“Of course! But I didn’t know he would like to be a pack mule.” I proceeded to show my friend the multitude of pictures featuring T-bone and Fiona.

“I guess this means your present for Cory wasn’t actually a present for Cory?”

“Guess not.” I grinned. “But I’m not mad about it.”