Gray came flying through the door with Calico hot on her heels. They disappeared into the living room.
I hesitated for a few seconds. What were they up to? Probably no good. I went to investigate.
Gray was struggling with a bird. Feathers floated in the air and lay scattered across the carpet. Bird broke free and flew into the big plants by the big window. Gray pursued. Calico sat and watched.
Finally, Bird flew from the plants in the living room to the window in the kitchen, bouncing off the glass - then caught in a tangle of twine I'd carelessly left on the sill.
I then realized this bird was no stranger; it was Mrs. Cardinal.
Mrs. Cardinal, along with her husband and fledgling son were regular diners on the deck. She must have let down her guard for a second. A second was all Grey needed.
I was so sorry.
I'd failed to keep her safe. I should have known better. I'd let the kitties run free on the deck past their usual two-hour intervals. It was all my fault. I didn't blame Gray. Grey was only doing what cats do. The only one deserving blame was me.
Mrs. Cardinal had become righteously impatient.
It was her time on the deck. Damn the cats, the seeds beckoned.
I carried her still body to the railing on the deck, shutting the screen to keep the kitties out. She was alive. Her eyes were open. She bit me quite savagely, then fell into something like a coma, motionless except for the heaving of her breast. She closed her eyes.
Now what? Should I try to nurse her back to health? How would I do that? Maybe if I let her just rest she'd recover on her own. I left her, and walked back inside.
I looked out the window and realized she was slightly outside my usual view from kitchen window. No matter, I'd check on her from time-to-time.
Several checks later, she was still motionless. Later still, she was gone. Did Hawk take her? Did she fall off the railing into the bamboo thicket? I hoped she'd revived and flown away.
There was no way to know for sure.
Her fledgling came to the spot where his mom had lain, looking anxiously back and forth, then flying away, only soon to return and do the same.
I watched each day for miraculous return. One day, two days, three days passed. On the afternoon of the third day - there she was.
She was missing a few tail feathers, her right foot wasn't working quite right, but she was hopping around like nothing was seriously wrong.
I had prayed for her recovery. God had answered my prayers. I was grateful. The whole nasty business was over.
Later that afternoon Mister Cardinal and fledgling son joined her.
The world was right again.
That night, as every night, Grey cuddled next to me in bed, as though nothing important had happened.
I thought otherwise.