He kissed the top of my forehead. “That’s good to hear.”
The driver sped along up out of the traffic into the green hills, and before long, I could see the very top of my new home peeking out from amongst the trees.
“I’m going to really miss Deevus,” I said.
“You have a pet peacock waiting to be petted.”
I laughed.
And when we got back, Marcus insisted I go with him to go feed his pet peacock.
Eduardo walked over near me and I clung to Marcus.
“See? He likes you.”
“You don’t keep him in a cage,” I said. “What if he runs away?”
“He’s too territorial.”
“I would never think that,” I
said sarcastically.
Marcus laughed. “He likes to roam but he never leaves the premises. Once a home is established, he comes back to roost.”
“I know what his problem is,” I said.
“What?”
“He’s lonely. He needs a female peacock. That would make him happy.”
Marcus chuckled. “He could be bad tempered during mating season.”
“And he has no lady to show those beautiful feathers too. Just imagine Eduardo strutting around with his bright blue chest, all puffed out, and showing off his larger than life tail with all the colors of the rainbow. Now, that’s a shame.”
“No girl would say no to him.”
I threw down some grapes, and he came over and gobbled them up. “He’s a beautiful bird.”
“I didn’t get him for his beauty,” Marcus teased. “I got him because he’s better than a watchdog. He defends this place better than swans, who are the best yard/home defense pets. Nothing will get past the watchful eye of a peacock. They’ll shriek something fierce over anything they deem a threat to their property.”
I threw down some more grapes. “He scared me more than a Rottweiler ever would.”
We both laughed.
“But seriously,” Marcus said. “I didn’t really get him to be a security system. I just like him. And I think he really likes me. We’re friends.”
“I’ve never seen this in any of the articles I’ve read about you.”
“I don’t tell the public everything about me. It’s good to keep a little mystery.”
“Yeah, it keeps them guessing.”
Chapter 12
I came up to bed early because I was so beat.
I felt a connection to the little life growing inside of me and poured out some of my most private thoughts and fears. I felt my belly and began to talk to my baby. “Dear little angel, I hope you can hear my voice. Though we haven’t met, I love you more than anything. You’ll be joining our family soon, and I can’t wait to see your beautiful face and hold those little fingers and feet. I eagerly await seeing your smile, hearing your tiny giggles. Will you look like me or Daddy? You are loved, wanted, and cherished. I’ve never felt such love for a person I’ve never met before, but even now, my love for you is unconditional, eternal, and pure.”