Chapter 198: Dance
Grape watches sulkily from the garden bench as Mona shooes him away with a flick of her hand. She’s too busy entertaining Mimi, the tiny human who once annoyed him with her clumsy affections but now no longer spares him a glance.
Lately, loneliness has been a constant companion for Grape. His humans are mates and they are consumed with their offspring, leaving him to fend for his own entertainment.
With a disgruntled ruffle of his feathers, Grape hops to the ground, considering his plight. Perhaps, he thinks, it’s time to find his own mate. A partner to fill the void and distract him from his neglected status.
The problem is, no one seems interested. The birds around here are haughty, unimpressed by his charms or his well-groomed plumage. One particularly humiliating incident comes to mind—he’d approached a stunning bird with his best dance, only to discover she already had a mate who promptly chased him off.
But today feels different.
His sharp eyes catch sight of her—a vision perched gracefully on a nearby tree. Her feathers gleam in the sunlight as she preens herself, running her beak through her pristine plumage. She’s beautiful, elegant, and everything he’s been searching for.
This is his chance.
Grape puffs up his chest, smoothing his feathers and preparing himself for the performance of a lifetime. With a determined flap of his wings, he hops closer, his tiny heart beating with anticipation. It’s time to dance.
And this time, he won’t be chased away.