Apologies for the long wait, folks. Happy Spring!

If you'll be my star, I'll be your sky
You can hide underneath me and come out at night
When I turn jet black and you show off your light
I live to let you shine, I live to let you shine

-"Boats and Birds", Gregory and the Hawk

Between.

"Mom, Dad! Come quick!"

Stephanie and Tim came running out of the house at the summons, finding their two children apparently safe – thank God – but crouched over something on the ground. Tim stiffened when he saw what it was: a baby robin, barely moving but alive.

"Think it's okay?"

Steph swiftly swooped in to take command of the situation, stooping as she reached out to carefully scoop the bundle up.

"It should be fine, we just need to put it back in its nest…"

"The nest's broken though, because some big dummy dropped it."

Annie shot an accusing glare at her older brother.

"It's not my fault! There were weird bugs crawling all over it! It's got 'em too."

Stephanie froze before her fingers could touch the feathers, squinting up close. Upon further examination, she was horrified to discover there was indeed a swarm of infinitesimal insects infesting the poor thing's exterior.

"Gross. What are those?"

Their boy Peter, normally enthralled by the rude and repulsive, eyed the parasites in disgust.

"Probably mites of some kind. Annie, sweetie, can you go get Mommy her gardening gloves? And Peter, I want you to go inside, fill a sink with water, and then go take a bath yourself. Make sure you scrub hard."

"But-"

"No 'buts', mister. Get to it."

The lad grumbled, but obediently scampered off. Tim, who had been silently staring up to now, snapped out of stupor and cleared his throat.

"I'll… go make sure he does as he's told. Check that he gets everywhere."

Stephanie simply nodded.

…

A gentle but thorough wash cycle later, both boy and bird were clean and rid of pests at last. The latter had been set up in a makeshift home of a slightly misshapen pottery bowl crafted in Annie's art class, with plenty of soft tissues to keep it warm and comfortable. Fortunately it didn't appear to be suffering from any other injuries; according to Peter it must have already fallen out from the nest before he curiously picked it up from the bush – and chucked it immediately aside like a beehive. It was lucky no other predators had chanced upon it before them, likely concealed by the bramble and branches.

"Poor little guy, it must be hungry," Annie cooed as she extended a fingertip towards their tiny visitor, who nibbled on the end as if it resembled a giant caterpillar, struggling to fit its beak around it somehow.

"What do robins eat? Usually worms, right?" A mischievous grin formed on Peter's face, still freshly pink and rosy from his soak, as he sneakily pulled out a mysterious box from behind his back. "…Think it'll eat spiders?"

"Peter, don't you dare-"

There was a minute of silence, before a piercing high-pitched shriek once again alarmed their parents over in the next room.

"Moooooom, Peter's dumping dead spiders all over the rug!"

The two adults looked at each other, and sighed, shaking their heads. This was going to be a handful.

…

That night, Stephanie tiptoed worriedly downstairs upon waking to find her husband absent from her bedside. As she approached the "guest room", she saw the lights were dimly on and heard his hushed voice traveling from it:

"Your family abandoned you too, huh?"

Peering around the corner, she spotted Tim talking absently aloud to the dozing ball of down, pouring himself a glass in the process.

"Bet you were the runt of the bunch, too weak to fly away with the others probably… Left you alone to fend for yourself." He swirled the amber liquid, before lifting and downing it in one shot. "I know what that's like."

He stretched out to soothingly stroke the small head half-tucked under its wing, as it shifted but didn't stir.

Stephanie drew her robe's train close, and treaded forward cautiously, wrapping herself around his waist as she leaned her forehead into his hunched back. He put a palm appreciatively over hers, and they stayed connected like that for a while, before he gradually revolved around and inclined towards her, tilting her chin-

"Mommy? Daddy? What are you doing?"

They startled simultaneously as their daughter appeared in the doorway, drowsily rubbing her lids. In her other hand dangled a doll with a freckled button smile and raggedy red yarn in braids. Stephanie separated with a sheepish glimpse at her partner and crossed over to kneel before her youngest, petting her hair.

"Darling, go back to bed. Mommy and Daddy were just having a grownup talk."

"Didn't look like talking to me," Peter grinned goadingly from the top of the stairway, peeking between the banister bars at his equally embarrassed parents through a pair of toy binoculars.

"Peter! Were you spying on us?"

"Maybe." He smirked in smug satisfaction at his stealth skills. "What's everyone doing up so late anyway?"

"Nothing you kids needs to be concerned about. C'mon, back to bed, both of you." She ushered insistently. "You've got school tomorrow. Scoot."

"But I want to see the bird," Peter whined. "Since I'm here anyway."

"It's asleep right now – like you should be – and doesn't want to be disturbed."

As a last-ditch effort, Peter cast a pleading glance towards his paternal side, who firmly echoed his spouse's sentiments.

"You heard your mother, young man. Bed. Now."

"All right, fine, fine. I'm going," the youth groused as his mother marched him straight upstairs. Annie lingered however, looking wonderingly up at her dad's stonefaced expression, sensing something wrong. She knew he always tried to hide it around them, but even then, his eyes seemed so incredibly… sad. She tugged on his cuff, squeezing Papa's icy paw, large and rough compared to hers.

"I can't sleep. Will you come tuck me in, and tell me a bedtime story? The one about the beautiful princess and the giant clay monster, and the brave, heroic, handsome prince who comes to rescue her…"

Tim gazed down at his little girl's shining pupils, and smiled as he bent down to boost her up and carry her.

"Of course, sweetheart."

…

"Maybe we should let it outside."

It had been a few days since they gained a new "member" of the household, and their patient was looking much healthier, gaining back plump fluff and energy – if not quite color, as its puffed chest still seemed unusually pale. The kids had come home from school to find it surveying – as it often did – out the glass sliding door to the backyard. …As if longing to be free.

"Yeah but if we put it outside," Peter pointed out, "it could wander off and get lost. …Or eaten." He made a menacing leer at his sister in an endeavor to frighten her, but she folded her arms and sniffed, unimpressed.

"What if its Mommy and Daddy are looking for it though? They won't find it if it's cooped up in here."

"Stupid, haven't you heard that if a human touches a baby bird, then its parents won't care for it anymore?"

"Lian says that's just an 'old knives tale'. Like the Batman."

"'Old wives' tale'," Peter corrected. "And the Batman is real. He did exist. Right, Dad? You remember seeing him."

"Huh? Oh… Sure, son."

Tim muttered distractedly, as if in a daze. Stephanie hastily stepped forth to settle the argument.

"We'll give it a try for a bit. I'm sure it could use the sunshine."

…

"Check it out, Dad! I'm teaching it to fly!"

Tim came out on the terrace to bear witness to his son standing a short distance from the deck, with their new feathered friend perched on top of the fence dividing them. Peter held out his sleeve, and the pilot spread its wings as it dipped off the railing-

A panic seized Tim as he dashed forward in a desperate attempt to catch it – stop it – save it from… from…

What is it you're so afraid of?

It falling? Failing?

Or flying away…?

It merely glided over the gap though, fluttering to a rest on the fabric, tweeting with pride over its accomplishment. Peter beamed as he poked at the fledgling's plumage, tickling under its jowl in congratulations.

"Pretty cool, huh, Dad?" His pal peeped in agreement. "You want to give it a try?"

"N- no thanks." Tim swallowed. "I'll just… watch."

"Come on, it's fun! Let's test to see how far it can really go."

He bounded up the steps and pushed his father to trade places, positioning him at approximately the same site, but perhaps an inch further. Directing him to mimic the same inviting motion. Tim's limb trembled incessantly as he did so.

"You gotta stay still, Dad! Pretend you're a statue – or, actually I guess a tree would probably be better in this case."

Meanwhile, Stephanie was inside doing the dishes, keeping a constant eye on the proceedings. She paused to pay full attention as her husband grit his teeth and stabilized himself, indicating mental preparedness with a nod.

"Ready? Okay – here goes!"

Peter released the avian aviator, and Tim halted his breath as it sailed down smoothly. …Although its landing might not have been so graceful, as it descended with a slight stumble on his skin. Still, it managed to right itself and shake off the mistake, clearly ready for another round. Stephanie smiled at the boys' successful bonding ritual, and resumed her task as Tim exhaled in relief, admiring the creature's persistence.

"You're really not giving up, huh? …Good for you."

It chirped.

…

"Mom, Dad! Come look at this! Hurry!"

The two arrived again to their tykes pressing wide-eyed features to the glass, gawking in awe at the scene taking place outside. They had been leaving the "nest" on the porch for a few hours a day so its occupant could sunbathe, propped on a lawn chair so as to prevent predator attacks. …Roosting on the rim was a fully mature robin, devotedly feeding its missing young.

"…I don't believe it."

"See?" Annie waved excitedly, bouncing up and down. "I told you: Its parent came back for it!"

Tim gaped in amazement, utterly stunned by this development.

"…It really came back."

He repeated in a wavering whisper, like a trance. Stephanie slid next to him, slipping her hand into his.

"It must love its child a lot." She supported her head affectionately against his shoulder. "I bet it broke its heart to have to leave it behind."

Tim said nothing, but gripped back tightly as together, the four of them marveled at the miraculous display of Mother Nature. A true family reunion.

…

Over the course of the next couple days, the parent and its mate kept dutifully returning to take care of their chick in turns – as well as tempt it further and further away from the house.

The first time it vanished from the veranda, they eventually located it in the same shrubbery it had originated from. Its shelters kept moving progressively beyond just the backyard towards the property's border though, becoming increasingly difficult to track – and recapture – until one day it disappeared entirely.

They kept the search party up through the evening, and as darkness fell Stephanie suggested they head inside, but Tim stubbornly fished out a flashlight and continued foraging through the foliage.

"…Tim, please. That's enough. The kids are hungry, and tired. We've looked everywhere. It's probably gone by now, I'm sure it flew off with its folks. Let's just go back-"

"NO!"

All three jumped at the thunderous bark.

"You can do what you want, but I'm not quitting. It's just a baby – what if something happened to it? It got caught by some predator, or – or worse…"

He was so fixated on his hunt that he ignored thorns stabbing into his flesh. His children huddled together, shivering from chill and growing fear as they observed their father bleeding and ranting like a madman.

"Daddy, you're acting kinda scary…"

Stephanie determinedly grasped her husband's forearm, striving to keep him from hurting himself any further.

"Tim – honey – let it go. I'm begging you," she implored, irises shimmering with intense apprehension. "Don't do this to yourself. Not in front of the kids."

Tim blinked, rotating slowly as if remembering their presence. He took in the sight of his terrified tots regarding him with an anxious mix of confusion and concern, as if he were a total stranger. He gulped in remorse, sinking to his knees as he embraced them.

"I'm sorry, kids. Sorry for scaring you. Daddy just… lost his head for a little bit. I'm all right now."

He was shuddering – sobbing – even more than they were, and they threw themselves around him in alleviated hugs.

"It's okay, Daddy. It's okay. It's with its family now."

Tim dried his tears as Stephanie joined the circle, holding the current most precious people in his life as close as possible; beaming with blessed fondness as they benevolently surrounded him back.

"Yeah. …Yeah it is."

But you can skyrocket away from me
And never come back if you find another galaxy
Far from here with more room to fly
Just leave me your stardust to remember you by

This is based off a real experience I had rescuing a baby robin once. Everything pretty much happened as described, including the part about the parent coming back.