Just a quick PSA, and I know people hate it when authors do this, but reviews really do help me write faster. They make me feel like I'm doing something right, especially with a project like this one. Even if it's just to say 'good chapter' or something like that.

Enough of that. Let's get to the good stuff.

Also, this chapter features a discussion of prerevolutionary US history, more specifically witch trials in America and a particular method of execution that was only used once, I believe. And I introduce an ancestor of Hunter and Phillip, even if the former is unaware of the connection. He looks more like Phillip for the sake of my sanity.

Also also, TW for animal injury.

Summers had always moved far too fast for Hunter's liking.

The seemingly-endless days of playing video games, watching trash movies with Luz so they could make fun of them, and babysitting Vee so their mom could work without worry always passed by him in what felt like a flash. Just as quickly as they started, they ended and he found himself back in school with all the people he didn't particularly like. Back to studying and homework and taking tests and trying to ensure Luz didn't bottle up whatever bullying she happened to be on the receiving end of. Because she could and would do that in an effort to not rock the boat.

This summer, however, the studying came early. Shortly after Vee's birthday, he and Luz were informed by Camila that they needed to start getting ready for the entrance exams. Each of them had received a packet with the type of material that would be on the test when they'd registered at the school earlier in the summer, which really narrowed down what exactly they had to study. One trip to the library later, Hunter was ready to start and hole himself up in his room for the rest of the summer. Or at the very least until he'd taken his exams.

Which brought him to what he was doing now—reading a book on the history of pre-revolutionary America. This one covered events in the colonies and he was slightly alarmed by the newfound knowledge that Connecticut had witch trials that predated the more famous ones in Salem. A shudder ran up his spine as he read the names of the most vocal participants, which included a man by the name of William Wittebane. Apparently, Wittebane had been one of the more brutal when it came to what he believed should have been done to witches, but he'd also been accused of witchcraft himself.

"You think he was gay?" Luz asked. She was laying on his bed, her legs up against the wall as she read the same book.

"Who was gay?"

"William Wittebane. There's a saying."

"Do not—"

"Be gay—"

"Luz—"

"—do witchcraft."

"That's for goth girls like that Amity to sound cool and wear on T-shirts. Not to described racist religious fanatics obsessed with the idea of there being witches in the world. Witches aren't even real."

"I know. I'm just trying to make myself laugh because it'll make me wanna tear this portrait of him out of the book less." She gasped as she read further down the page. "According to this, William Wittebane has living descendants!"

"I'm not surprised. A lot of people from that time do, even the repressed idiots."

"True." She shrugged, then frowned at the page. "Jeez. I remember reading about the ones in Salem, and apparently this Wittebane guy helped come up with the idea of pressing a witch."

"How does that work?"

"You lay them out on the ground with no clothes—"

"—already gross—"

"—and you put a large piece of wood on top of them while you hold them down so they can't run away. On top of the wood, you pile more and more big heavy stones until—"

"Okay, heard enough." Hunter grimaced.

"History's gross. That's what makes it fun."

"Whatever," he muttered.

His concentration, which had started to return, was again interrupted by a loud BANG! against his bedroom window. He and Luz both ran to it and he threw it open, looking around to try and find the source. A glance downward proved to be the best choice since there was a small red bird laying on the ground beneath his window. Without a word he rushed downstairs and outside to find that the bird was a young cardinal, probably still learning to fly, and that he was still alive.

"D… do we touch it?" Luz whispered.

"I think his wing is hurt." Hunter pointed at the bird's crooked wing, which did look bent the wrong way. "He's not gonna be able to fly back up to wherever he came from."

"I bet Mom could help him out."

"Yeah, you're right. I'll take him down to the clinic. Get me some stuff so I can carry him safely."

Hunter knelt down and scooped the bird into his hands as Luz went back inside the house. He let out frantic chirps and tweets, wriggling against his palms, but Hunter shushed him gently. The cardinal quieted down but he could feel the tiny heartbeat of the animal against his skin.

"There we go," Hunter murmured. "I'm not gonna hurt you, little buddy."

"I got a shoebox and a towel," Luz announced, coming outside. "That should be safe enough for you to take him in."

Hunter nodded, laying the poor bird in the box and creating a nest around him. Unexpectedly, the bird let out a chirp and snuggled into the fabric, seemingly recognizing that they were trying to help him.

"You remember where it is?"

"Yeah. Vee should be home from Eda's soon, so you should stay here. And study."

Luz sighed and went back upstairs, casting one last glance at the cardinal in the shoebox before disappearing. Hunter put the top on the shoebox and went to grab his bike from the garage. Normally he'd skate or walk, but the bike would be more stable for the injured bird while still getting him to the newly-opened clinic quickly. His hollow bones were fractured and fragile as it was and Hunter refused to make it worse. Part of being raised by a vet, he supposed. He and Luz had always been animal lovers.

He could still remember her training snakes for a book report. Those snakes had been rehomed to a local reptile sanctuary when they were getting ready to move and Luz had lovingly kissed each one on the head before handing them off to the man who ran the place. She'd practically raised them from hatchlings after a snake owner had left them at their mother's old clinic, so to see her get so emotional over her 'babies' was understandable in Hunter's mind.

He wasn't afraid to admit he'd miss them, too.

Still, he had to think about the bird for now.

He sped up his ride to the clinic, carefully balancing the box to rattle the bird as little as possible.

"All done with cleaning the kennels, Dr. Noceda!"

"Thank you, Viney. You've been a big help."

"No problem. I mean, if I'm gonna be a vet one day, I'll have to do this stuff all the time."

The dark-haired girl went over to the nearby sink and washed her hands.

"So, you go to Hexside, correct?"

"Yep. It's my third year there." She dried off her hands with the paper towels. "Why?"

"How was the entrance exam?"

"If you study, it's a cakewalk. They say it's just to get in, but Principal Bump changed those rules when he became in charge. Now it's more of a placement test to know what classes to stick you in."

Camila let out a relieved sigh.

"That's good to know. My son and oldest daughter are taking the exams and I've been so nervous. They're both such smart kids, but sometimes…"

"How old are they?"

"My daughter is fourteen. My son is—"

"MOM!"

She whirled around at the sound of her son's voice in the waiting room, accompanied by the sound of the receptionist shushing him. Camila rushed out with Viney on her heels and saw Hunter there with a shoebox in his hands. Currently, he was arguing with her receptionist.

"I need to see Dr. Noceda."

"And I asked if you had an appointment!"

"She's my mother."

"We have protocol. If you don't have an appointment, then tell me what the emergency is."

"Gwendolyn, it's fine," Camila sighed. "Mijo, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be studying for the Hexside exams."

"I was. But then this guy crashed into my window."

Hunter lifted the lid off the box to reveal a bright red cardinal with a broken wing. It chirped pitifully up at Camila and she let out a gasp.

"Oh, you poor bebé. Good thinking bringing him here."

"Aw, hi, little guy," Viney cooed, looking at the bird and holding out a hand.

"Luz is still at the house and Vee's still at Eda's, so don't worry, everything's—"

"It's all right. Bring him on back."

Her oldest followed her and Viney into one of the examination rooms and he set the shoebox on the counter. Carefully Camila lifted their newest patient and his towel-nest out of the box.

"I've never seen a cardinal this close," Viney admitted. "He's super cute. Or she."

"It's male," Camila chuckled. "You can tell by the coloring. The females are much more muted."

"Ohh, right. It's to attract mates or something."

"Who are you?" Hunter inquired.

"I'm Viney. I'm a volunteer here." She stuck out her hand.

"Hunter. I'm Dr. Noceda's son." He accepted the handshake.

"Viney, get a pair of gloves and some wrap," Camila instructed. "Hunter, gloves for you, too. I know you've already touched it but this is a wild animal and I don't want to take any more risks."

"Okay, Mom."

Hunter put on a pair of gloves and gently stroked the cardinal's head. The bird let out a chirp, apparently loving the affection as Hunter gently grabbed him and Camila held the wrappings Viney had handed her. She knew her volunteer had quite a bit of experience with birds, since one of the things on Viney's application had been that she raised pigeons and chickens. And that point was proved as Viney helped to hold the cardinal's wing in the natural folded position, just the way Camila had learned in vet school.

"All right…" Camila wrapped the gauze and vet-wrap around the bird's body, holding the broken wing in place so it could heal. "And done."

"Now I know what to do next time," Hunter told his mother.

"Better hope there's not a next time." The three of them headed out of the examination room and into the waiting area.

"Yeah, fair enough."

"He'll need to be cared for while he's healing."

"I'd take him, but my cat's pretty territorial," Viney sighed. "Puddles barely tolerates the chickens and pigeons and she hates cardinals. I have no idea why."

"I can balance taking care of him and studying."

"Are you sure, mijo?"

"Yeah. Besides, Luz and Vee can help out, too, and you're there if something goes wrong."

Camila took a deep breath and nodded.

"Okay, then. You can take him home, but he has to be monitored. Take shifts with me and Luz at night. It shouldn't take too long to heal. Maybe a week or two."

"Got it."

"And I'd say don't name him, but knowing Luz…"

"…she already has a list picked out of things to call him."

Viney snickered.

"I like the sound of this Luz. Can't wait to meet her at Hexside."

"If we get in," Hunter muttered.

"Oh, you're getting in. Like I told your mom, it's a placement exam. It's just called an entrance exam so people try their hardest."

Camila had never seen her son relax so quickly in her life.

"Go on and take our new friend home. I'll be there soon enough. And we'll have breakfast for dinner tonight."

"Bye, Hunter!" Viney called as he headed for the door with the bird in the shoebox, then she turned to Camila. "You raised great kids."

"Wait until Luz adopts new snakes. She'll be using them in book reports again."

Viney's eyes widened, sparkling with delight.

"I knew this move would be a good idea. Come on. I need to write up a report and you have to wash your hands."

"Yes, ma'am."

Luz stared at the bird sleeping in the shoebox, snuggled up on the towel.

"So Mom said we can keep him, right?"

"She said we needed to keep an eye on him until his wing is healed."

"But we can keep him?"

"He's a wild bird, Luz. We'll let him go once he's healed."

"Do we have to?"

Hunter sighed and turned in his chair to glance at her.

"I mean, he's such a little sweetie. He doesn't peck or bite us. We should keep him as a pet."

"Mom won't let you. Besides, I thought snakes were your thing."

"Snakes, birds, dogs, cats, lizards, turtles, fish—"

"Okay, okay, I get it. What names have you picked out for him?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She looked away from him.

"You started coming up with a list of names as soon as I left for the clinic earlier. Pick one for him." She pouted, then sighed. He was absolutely right.

"But there's so many that are perfect for the little sweetie-pie! Like Sweetie-Pie!"

"No."

"Angel."

"Nope."

"Precious."

"Negative."

"Babyface."

"Hell no. Why are all your names possible pet names for your future girlfriend?"

"She's not my future girlfriend!"

"Really? You think Amity won't like you?"

"No, she just… she has a history with Willow, and until I get that all figured out, dating Amity is off the table. Not that I'd call Amity any of those names. She's too cool for any of them."

He rolled his eyes.

"Maybe something will come to me if I get something to eat."

"Mom said we're doing breakfast for dinner tonight."

"Really? We are?" Luz perked up. "I'll go get started, then!"

"Vee's gonna want pancakes."

"Right! One order of flapjacks, coming up!"

The cardinal lifted his head and chirped happily as Luz slid off the bed. She let out a gasp and lifted him gently out of the box.

"Careful!" Hunter barked, but she smiled brightly.

"I got it! We can call him Flapjack! It's a good bird name!"

"It's better than the other options. So sure, we'll call him Flapjack."

"Yay! We have a name for you, little buddy!" Luz gave him a kiss on top of the head (she and Hunter had carefully given the bird a bath earlier, using online instructions before rewrapping his wing) and then set Flapjack on Hunter's desk. "I'll go get started. You two have fun!"

"I dunno, bud. She's crazy," she heard Hunter tell Flapjack.

She didn't care how much her brother denied it; he loved this little bird already and he wouldn't be letting Flapjack go when the time came. Not one little bit.

But first, dinner.

"Go, Flapjack!"

Vee clapped her hands as Hunter unwound the last of the bandages from the bird's tiny body.

It had been a week and a half since Flapjack had crashed into her brother's bedroom window, and with all four of them taking care of the cardinal and Camila's careful monitoring of his recovery, he'd completely healed up. Which meant it was time to release him back into the wild. They were at the park to do just that, standing in a grassy spot surrounded by trees. Luz had protested this whole thing.

"He's our bird now! Can't he stay?"

"He's wild, mija. He has to go home."

The only person taking it harder than Luz was Hunter, who'd been Flapjack's primary caretaker during the week-and-a-half he was healing and he'd formed a bond of sorts with the scarlet bird. It had been to the point where Flapjack would hop his way up Hunter's shoulder and snuggle up while the eldest Noceda child was studying for his exams. And ride around on Hunter's shoulder for no reason other than it appeared to be fun. Vee did the same thing, only she was demanding piggyback rides while she was still small enough to get them.

"Maybe he'll stick around?" Willow posited, tenderly scratching Flapjack's head. She'd come for moral support (she hadn't specified who she was there to morally support).

"Maybe," Hunter sighed. He held out his hand, where Flapjack was perched on his index finger. "We have to at least try to release him. He's supposed to be wild, not a pet."

"On the count of three," Camila said, and Hunter nodded. "One… two…"

"THREE!" they all called out in unison, and Hunter thrust his hand upward to let Flapjack take to the sky.

With a fluttering of wings, the bird was in the air, flying without a problem.

"Bye, buddy," Hunter whispered. "God, is this how it felt with the snakes?"

"I raised them from hatchlings, but Flapjack was a lot more affectionate with you than they were with me," Luz mused. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just glad he's better." Willow put a comforting hand on his shoulder and he smiled at her. Vee hid a giggle behind her hand and watched as Flapjack flew out of sight.

"Do you have any pets, Willow? One he can play with and feel better?"

"I keep bees, but that's about it. Sorry."

"You keep bees?! How do you keep getting cooler?!"

"You use them to help pollinate your plants, don't you?" Hunter inquired.

"Yeah. And so my dads and I can have fresh honey. It's not that big a deal."

"It is a big deal! Do they sting you? How much honey do they make? How many do you have?"

"I think you've lost them for now," chuckled Camila, putting a hand on Vee's shoulder as Luz showered Willow with questions and Hunter tried to pretend he wasn't as interested in the bees as her older sister was.

"I think you're right. Do you think Flapjack will be okay, Mama?"

"I'm sure he'll be fine. He's a smart bird. And like Willow said, he may stick around if he wants to."

Eventually they reached the car, and Vee buckled herself in. The family took a quick detour to drop Willow off at her house before returning home. Vee wandered into the backyard to see if she could spot any early-evening fireflies. Hunter joined her, sitting down on the steps. He usually did since it was a break from studying.

"Hey Hunter?"

"Yeah?"

"…was Dad like you?"

Hunter blinked.

"Why are you asking about Dad?"

"I just…" She fidgeted slightly. "Eda said she'd tell King about his dad when he turned eleven, and with the anniversary of Dad being gone coming up, I just…"

"You're curious about him."

"You knew him more than I did, and I was hoping you could tell me something."

"I didn't know him as long as Luz did, but he was the only real dad I can remember. I was only four when Mom and Dad adopted me. You were nonexistent, and Luz was really young." His voice tightened. "I… I don't know…"

"Please? If it hurts too much, you don't have to…"

"You deserved to know him. We should've had him longer." Hunter quickly drew his knees closer to his chest, burying his face in his arms that rested on top of his knees, but she saw the tears in his eyes.

Vee dipped her head. She should've waited. She should've asked Mom or Luz, not Hunter, this was already a rough enough day for him. Hunter was always touchy when it came to Dad, more than their mom and sister. She shouldn't have…

A chirp reached her ears, and she lifted her head back up to see…

…a bright red bird perched on Hunter's head. A bird that hopped back and forth in a very familiar pattern, picking at the forelock of Hunter's hair. Her brother lifted his head, and seemed confused as he reached up. The bird hopped onto his finger and he brought it back down.

"…Flapjack? You came back?"

"How does that saying go?"

"…be gay, do witchcraft?"

"Not that one. If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you…"

"It's yours," he finished. A smile spread across his face as Flapjack hopped down his arm and rested on his shoulder, snuggling up to sleep. "Guess he likes us."

"But he can come and go if he wants, right?"

"Of course. But something tells me he's not going to."

They both glanced out at the yard to see the first fireflies starting to appear. Vee smiled. Maybe she'd catch a few, or maybe she'd just let Hunter enjoy this time with Flapjack.

And that was how the Nocedas got a pet bird.

Soooo, just so Hunter wouldn't get in trouble, I did look up whether or not you can keep a cardinal for a pet. It's illegal to own one in the US, as it turns out. But this is fiction, so Hunter gets our favorite sassy bird baby that he loves more than anything. Just don't tell the cops so Flapjack can stay.

I also did not mean to go down the dad route, it just slipped out. Sorry if y'all got sad.

So long and thanks for all the fish!