Chapter 24
Holding each other
"Blu!" Jewel screamed as she held him by the shoulders. Shaking him, trying to wake him up. Jewel did this for a while, repeating the same thing. And finally, Jewel got a response from Blu. Blu opened his eyes wide in surprise.
"I'm awake, I'm awake," Blu said as he realized that Jewel was the one who was repeatedly shaking him. He shot a half-smile at Jewel since he didn't have enough energy to give her a full smile because he was still tired from waking up.
"Oh, hey Jewel," Blu yawned at Jewel. Jewel stared at Blu with a really happy, surprised expression. Blu found this a little bit weird. His face changed to a little bit of an uncomfortable expression. "Um, Jewel," Blu started "are you okay?"
"Oh my god Blu you are actually awake, I thought it was just a dream," Jewel screamed in joy as she hugged Blu tightly. Jewel's wings squeezed around Blu tightly. Blu wheezed as Jewel squeezed more air out of him. All of a sudden, Jewel loosened her grip around him, allowing Blu to breathe as she still hugged him.
"Of course I'm awake, why wouldn't I be. You just woke me up," Blu told her in a confused tone and expression. A shocked look spread across Jewel's face. She had totally forgotten that he didn't know he was in a coma since the incident with the Scarlet Macaw. Jewel stopped hugging Blu and stared down at Bia who rested up against him. She smiled again as she looked at the peaceful smile on Bia's beak. Jewel turned back to Blu and noticed that he was also staring down at Bia. He ran his wing through her feathery crown gently. Blu looked back up at Jewel. "Jewel," Blu said and then paused for a few more seconds "What's going on," Blu asked finally. A sad expression spread across Jewel's face when Blu asked this. Jewel didn't completely know how to answer his question. Jewel stayed silent for a while, just thinking about the question and what she should tell Blu.
"Blu," Jewel started as a serious look spread across her face. She stared directly into Blu's chocolate brown eyes. The serious look that Jewel gave Blu scared him a little. He straightened his back out as he sat down and prepared for Jewel to continue. "There's something you have to know," Jewel said to Blu. Blu sat down completely still. Blu could tell by Jewel's expression that what she was about to tell him was not good news. "Whenever you fell from that branch," Jewel reminded Blu "you didn't die," Jewel said, "But, you were in a coma for 5 months." And that was the moment when it felt like Blu's heart stopped beating. Blu felt like time froze right then. Blu felt like he wouldn't be able to breathe. But when he did breathe, he could breathe just fine.
"5-" Blu stuttered. His whole body shook in fear. "Months," Blu finished what he meant to say. Jewel didn't do anything. She just sat down in front of Blu and stared at him as he processed what Jewel just told her. Blu sat there for a while with a shocked expression on his face. He thought about everything he missed.
"I missed my kids hatch, I missed them grow," Blu thought to himself first "I left Jewel," Blu thought after "I abandoned my family." Blu curled his whole body and put his wings on top of his head. Loud whimpers of sadness echoed throughout the house. Blu stared at the counter as he began to cry. Tears ran down his face. He tried his best to hide from crying. He didn't want Jewel to see him like this. But he couldn't hold back his sadness. Jewel watched droplets of tears hit the counter. A sad expression formed on Jewel's face as she watched the bird she loved cry. After a couple minutes of Blu crying in pain. He wiped the tears off of his face. He inhaled deeply and looked back up at Jewel.
"What did I miss," Blu struggled to ask in his sad expression. Jewel looked down at Bia and smiled as tears began to form in her eyes.
"We have kids now Blu," Jewel said as she struggled to hold back her tears. The tears in her eyes glistened in the light of the morning. Blu didn't look at Jewel when he talked to her, he couldn't bring himself to do it. "They're the most, sweetest birds in the world," Jewel told Blu. Blu felt more tears form in his eyes. Blu lifted his wings off the top of his head and looked down at Bia. She still had a peaceful smile spread across her beak. Blu struggled to put a smile on his face as he looked at the cute smile on Bia's face. "I see you met Bia already," Jewel said to Blu. Blu nodded as he still stared down at Bia. "But Carla and Tiago miss you as well," Jewel told Blu. Blu shook his head once again and looked up at Jewel.
"I know," Blu responded to Jewel "What about Nico and Pedro and Raphael and Eva," Blu asked Jewel.
"They've missed you a lot," Blu told Jewel "You should probably go see them." Blu nodded his head in response. A moment of silence washed over them as Blu prepared to ask his next question.
"What about Linda," Blu asked Jewel.
"She's missed you as much as I did," Jewel told Blu slowly. A single tear ran down Blu's face when Jewel said this.
"I will never forgive myself for leaving my family," Blu thought to himself.
"Where is Linda right now," Blu asked Jewel.
"probably still sleeping," Jewel responded quickly.
"Where are the kids," Blu asked Jewel quickly after he asked his last question. Jewel looked over to a door that leads to a wooden balcony. Jewel looked out of the window. In the distance, she could see a few trees.
"I don't know, who knows," Jewel laughed. A smile spread across Blu's face. Blu looked down at Bia and put his wings under her. Blu slowly moved over to the side. Blu gently rested Bia on the counter. Blu got back up onto his talons. He slowly walked over to Jewel. Jewel stared up at him as she sat down. It didn't take long for Blu to reach Jewel since she sat close to him. Blu stared down at Jewel with a smile. She smiled back at him. Blu reached down quickly and grabbed her wings. He brought Jewel up quickly. Jewel was surprised by what Blu had just done. the sudden movement made Jewel collapse into Blu's wings. A small giggle escaped from within Jewel. Jewel placed her wings on top of Blu's shoulders and looked into his eyes.
"Jewel," Blu started as he wrapped his wings around Jewel mid area "Do you think you could just, slow dance with me." Jewel's smile deepened when Blu asked this.
"Of course I will," Jewel responded happily. They didn't have any music to slow dance to, but they didn't care. Jewel began to step side to side in a rhythm, Blu quickly followed this rhythm. They stared into each other's eyes as they slow danced. Jewel slowly slid one of her wings up to the back of Blu's head and kept it there. Jewel slowly brought Blu's head closer to hers. Blu brought his wings up to Jewel's neck and rested them there. Jewel slowly pulled Blu into a passionate kiss. Jewel moved her wing away from Blu's and hugged him. And then Blu noticed something. It felt like the first time they kissed in forever.
