chapter 51

ZAVION

“If there’s cake, there’s a party!” said Enzo.

“Thank you, Cora!” said Tavius.

“Yes, thank you kindly!” said Skeet.

“And coffee and wine!” said Enzo.

“And juice!” piped in Osprey.

“Thank you, Luna!” said Tavius.

“Yes, thank you kindly!” said Skeet.

“Mind your manners!” squawked Tiger.

Ms. Cyn poked her head into the kitchen. She made the party complete. Everyone from the Baton Rouge house was here and accounted for. Even Pierre had come to join them, plus Henry and Jake from Vermont. Vermont! Here! Zavion couldn’t quite believe his luck.

Or maybe it wasn’t luck. Zavion was too tired to think. He was just relieved and amazed and overwhelmed by the fact that they were here.

“Hope we aren’t keeping you awake,” said Jake to Ms. Cyn. “I know it’s late.”

“It was this bird,” said Ms. Cyn. “When he was screaming out that grocery list: milk, cheese, butter, juice, sausage, eggs—”

“Sorry,” said Henry.

“Ms. Cyn thought she was having a bad broccoli dream,” said Enzo.

“A noodle night terror,” said Tavius.

“A nut butter nightmare,” said Skeet.

“Very funny, you clowns,” said Ms. Cyn as she plunked herself down on a chair. “I wasn’t asleep. Do you think I would miss a party? Even one in the kitchen? I was just busy.” That was true, her scarf looked like it was a mile long. “I wouldn’t miss this”—she gestured with her hand around the room—“for anything.”

“Tiger is funny,” said Osprey.

“But Ms. Cyn is funnier,” said Skeet.

“Hey, y’all,” said Ms. Cyn. “Ribbing doesn’t officially begin until the sun rises, okay?”

“Okay,” said Enzo.

“Maybe,” said Tavius.

Skeet paused. “Nah,” he said.

Zavion took a bite of Cora’s cake. It was the best thing he had ever tasted. Better than the sandwiches he made and lined up in the refrigerator, better than the bread he had just learned to knead and bake, and maybe just as good as Mama’s ginger mint iced tea.

Across the kitchen table, Osprey scooped some cake into her hand and held it out for Tiger, who reached his beak down to snatch it up. “Crow’s dead,” said Osprey, “but you’re not dead, Tiger. I like you.”

“He likes you too, Osprey,” said Henry. “You wanna hold him?” Osprey nodded. “Do you think Green will mind?”

Osprey laughed. She pulled her leash onto the table, and attached to its clip was a small spoon. “This is Silver, not Green.” She leaned in toward Henry. “And don’t you know, Henry? Silver is only pretend.”

Henry clicked softly and pointed to the table. Tiger hopped off his shoulder and landed next to Silver. Osprey imitated Henry’s clicking sound.

“That’s right,” Henry said. “Now hold out your arm.” Tiger hopped onto Osprey’s wrist.

“Hi, Tiger,” she said.

“Hello,” he said. Then he leaned over and looked at himself in the silver spoon. “What a beaut!” he said. “What a beaut! Shiny!”

All of a sudden, Enzo hopped up. “Shiny! That reminds me of the woman at the convention center.”

“The singing woman?” said Tavius.

“Yeah, remember her? Right before we left?” said Enzo. “Remember what she sang?”

“ ‘This Little Light of Mine,’ ” said Tavius. “She was incredible—”

“She walked around the center belting that song at the top of her lungs, and people began to follow her, singing along,” said Enzo. “By the time we joined in, we couldn’t even see the woman—”

“There was such a long line,” said Tavius.

“This little light of mine,” sang Enzo, “I’m gonna let it shine—”

Tavius joined in.

“This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine—”

Skeet began to sing too.

“This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.”

Osprey got up too, and marched around the room.

“Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.”

Tavius reached his hand out to Pierre, who took it and began to sing too. Ms. Cyn, Papa, and Jake joined in. Even Tiger flew around the room, singing “shine” in all the right places.

—

As the song filled the kitchen, Zavion had a thought.

He had made it through a thunderstorm. It hadn’t been pretty. But he had made it through to the other side.

That was something.