Chapter 6

Let's Get You Ready

"Rafael! Eva! It's Sonora, and I brought some friends!" I called gliding up to the rim of the toucan's platform.

"Thank goodness! Oh I was so worried that owl got you again!" Eva jumped up and nearly choked me in a motherly hug.

"Eva, Eva; you're going to strangle the girl." Rafael shoved her off me and wrapped a wing protectively around me, as I gasped for air.

"Well, as you can tell," I gestured to my body after filling my lungs, "I'm fine. A little shaken, but fine nonetheless." I smile at the toucans, then Nico coughs from the edge of the nest reminding me that he and Pedro were there. "Oh right!" I rush over to my new friends. "Eva, Rafael; this is Pedro; hot-winger extraordinaire," I place a wing around Pedro's broad shoulders and he grins, "And this is Nico; the best wing-dancer I've ever seen in my life." Pedro bows and Nico sweeps off his hat.

"Pleasure to meet the ones who saved this beautiful lady's life." Nico says holding his hat in both wings.

"Good thing you were around, or we wouldn't have met our business partner. She won't admit it, but she can dance pretty well herself." Pedro pats me on the back, and I laugh.

"Well Sonora I must say I'm very proud of you. Meeting such nice boys your first day mingling." Eva was all puffed up as though she really was my mother.

"Yeah!" Rafael smirks, "These guys'll never steer you wrong. They introduced me to my gorgeous girl here." The bright beaked toucan wrapped a wing around his mate, and pecked her cheek.

"Really? Why didn't you guys tell me?" I asked.

"We wanted it to be a surprise." Nico told me fluttering over to my side and clasps my wing in his. This thing between us is crazy, but wonderful nonetheless.

"Oooo! What is this I see?" Eva coos. I drop my eyes as does Nico.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I say feeling my face get hot.

"My dear Sonora, you don't have to hide it. You can't." The toucan comforted. I looked back at Nico and I saw the same bit of embarrassment there. But as we look up from our claws and back to each other's eyes, that feeling is long gone. We wrapped our wings around each other and were held in a loose hug.

"See? What did I tell you? It's like samba; it makes your heart come alive." Rafael explained smiling.

"I do see it now." I reply softly. Nico squeezes me close to him.

"Oh you two are too cute!" Eva squawked.

"Thank you." We chorus, still smiling and holding each other.

"Did you hear about tonight?" Pedro broke in, annoyed with our display.

"Oh yea! I can't believe you guys are throwing a party!" Rafael cheered.

"I think it would be a good night to let the eggs breath. Should we go Ralphy?" Eva asks while running a flight feather across his shoulder.

"Of course we should go! It will be a good thing for you to stretch those pretty legs of yours." Rafael helped his wife stand and walk around a little bit. Soon she was gliding around happily and soared back over the nest to land by her mate.

"Alright girl, let's get stunning for tonight." Eva flapped her huge black wings, and snatched me out of Nico's wings.

"See you tonight!" I called exasperated as I hovered for a moment.

"Not if I see you first!" My sunbeam called after us, bottle cap cock-eyed on his head.

"At the tree!" I blew him a kiss as he nodded, and flapped to keep up with Eva.

"We're gonna find you the perfect little shawl, and get you all cleaned up!" The toucan was mainly talking to herself, but I tried to catch some snippets.

"Eva! Good to see you off the nest! Did the little ones hatch yet?" A bird called from the canopy.

"Not yet, but it's getting close." She replied.

"Oh my gosh! Is that Sonora?" The bird flew over to us and it turned out to be my mother.

"Morning mamá." I tell her as she takes a protective position above me.

"Good morning sweetheart. How have you been?" She cooed. My mother was, let's just say, overprotective. I'm their only chick, so I can sort of understand.

"I've been doing fine. Actually, just a few days ago I opened up a club; Three Amigos. My partners are great; I know you would love them as much as I do." I explained, smiling at the thought of my boys. "We're having a huge party tonight for Carnival, and I was hoping that you and dad would come."

"Why of course! I would love to come and see something that my daughter put together!" She lowered herself to my level to say that. "I'm glad that you got out there and did something a little crazy. It's good to see the Sonora I raised coming out again." She smiled in a way only moms can.

"Rafael and I are going too. I'm letting the eggs have a night to breath." Eva informed. "In fact he's probably working on getting Nico ready as we speak."

"Nico?" My mom's eyes narrowed suspiciously, "You mean that canary who wears the bottle cap?" My mom asks and I swear there's a hint of distaste in her tone.

"The same." Eva nodded.

"You should see him dance mamá. It's…it's magical. He so good." I told her with a sweet smile.

"So that's why you're out here now." Mom mumbles to herself. "I have a shawl that would look great on you. Eva, take care of the rest and I'll meet you at Sonora's hollow."

"Uh… Mamá!" I called, thinking fast. "Why don't we just meet you at home? My nook is a mess and I don't want you coming over." I tell her trying to prevent the apocalypse that would occur when she saw what Luís had done.

"Oh ok. I'll see you there then." She winks to her old friend and pats me on the head.

"Alright you staler, come on, you really need a bath." Eva circles and soars through the trees. I have to flap hard to keep up. We soon arrive at a tiny waterfall surrounded by tons and tons of flowers. This is where all girls come to bathe before a party, and there are tons of girls here right now. Eva clears out a few girls putting on the finishing touches and settles me in. We soak in a clear pool that had just been replenished with fresh water.

"This is the life." I murmur sinking up to my beak in the crystalline water.

"No kidding. I can't imagine being anywhere else." Turning her bright beak in my direction Eva looks at me teasingly. "But I'm sure you'd still like to be tucked away in Nico's wings." Again my face heats and my heart flutters.

Well DUH! My mind screams. "You know the strangest thing is that we've only known each other for a few days? I feel like I've known him all my life." I smile as I think back on Sunday in the little tree. "He's just amazing."

"I know it seems to be sudden, but it really isn't." She said dreamily and I gave her a weird look. Then she continued quickly, "Rafael and I didn't need long either. I saw him that day at Carnival, dancing and singing with his friends, and I knew that he was the one I wanted to be with forever." She told me. I smiled and giggled a bit, remembering how Nico and I met only a week ago, by complete accident.