Echo of a Bird's Cry

THE HERO ANGEL NOVEMBER 20

The towns square is festive. Red ribbon bows decorate the lamp posts. Christmas wreaths hang on shops' doors. Rows of spruce trees are webbed is twinkle lights. The warm aroma of gingerbread and cinnamon waft from bakeries, scenting the air. People migrate up and down the sidewalks with their winter coats and holiday scarfs, holding shopping bags from boutiques. Elaborate horse carriages parade down the street.

I explore the town square alone, roaming around without a particular destination. I'm taking this time to get a little normalcy in my life. I visit a coffee shop and order a mean cup of Joe. I watch people and their dogs at the park, wishing I brought Sandy out so she could run free for a while. I pass an antique jewelry store and something about it lures me in. I walk up to the display cabinet and stare down at the rings. An opal diamond ring winks at me.

"Welcome, sir," an older woman says from behind the glass counter. She has on a red blazer over a navy blue dress and her dark hair is swept into a smooth bun. "Do you see anything that has caught your eye?"

I nod. "That opal diamond ring."

She smiles, taking a key from her blazer pocket and unlocks the cabinet. She takes out the exact ring I'm staring at, sitting it on a velvet mat on the counter.

"This is from a high-end estate. This ring is vintage and dates back to the nineteen-sixties. It's a platinum and fourteen karat white gold cluster ring that features an enormous natural Australian opal of over seven carats surrounded by twenty round diamonds. It's definitely a statement piece."

There's no doubt that this is a spectacular ring. As much as I want to buy it for Eden, I won't. We have things to work through before I buy her another ring. I don't want to prematurely ask the love of my life to marry me when I know she isn't ready.

"This is a beautiful ring," I say, not daring to touch it. "I may come back for it at a different time."

The woman looks disappointed but she smiles. "Of course, sir. Have a great day."

Leaving the antique jewelry store, I glance back at a glossy black Mercedes-Maybach that creeps beside the sidewalk, following me. I stop and stare at the luxurious car, already knowing whose it is.

The chauffeur leaps out the driver's seat and opens the backdoor for me. I glide into the car without protest. The door shuts and I turn to face my father. The first thing I do is stare into his hazel eyes. This man in an expensive dark suit is my father Victor. His black wavy hair is pushed away from his rugged face. The car eases down the street. The ride is smooth. We can't even feel the bumps in the road.

"Hello, father."

He flashes me white teeth against this tan skin. "How is my son?"

"I'm good. How did you find me?"

"There isn't a place on God's green earth where I wouldn't find you. You are my son. I will always keep tabs on you."

"What are you doing in Ravenwood?"

"I've come to see you. I heard the news reports about what happened to you and the Willmores. I don't take the threat on my child's life lightly."

"I'm okay."

He taps his fingers over his knee. "That I do not doubt. I had to see for myself."

"How are things back home?"

My father used to be a part of the cartel. He was once a merciless drug lord, but he changed drastically after my mother left him. Her death still haunts him and we both know it. He is now a legitimate businessman and owns luxurious resorts in Mexico and has been for nearly thirty years.