This book is dedicated to all of my students whose stories inspire me every day!

I walked down the stairs as quietly as I could. The house was still and dark, and I pulled my robe tighter to keep out the chilly air. Nicholas and Alex were sleeping just down the hall, and I was hoping that the creaking stairs wouldn't wake either of them up too early.

I  slowly rounded the corner, and saw the light on the coffee machine blinking green. “Thank goodness the coffee is ready,” I thought as I moved closer to the counter where my cup sat waiting. The smell of fresh brewed coffee made me rush to the machine. The morning was peaceful and quiet, and I enjoyed the warmth of the steaming coffee cup in my hands as I sipped it slowly.

I sat on the kitchen stool, planning my day in my head. “Grocery shopping, cooking, laundry...Fun Day!” I grimaced to myself. Still, it was good to just sit there in the quiet of the morning waiting for the chaos to begin. I’m not sure why, but a chill went up my back, and I felt a strange sensation in my stomach. I looked over at Peanut’s cage which was still covered with a beautiful baby quilt. I thought happily of the day my friends had given me Peanut at my baby shower for Nicholas. I had been talking over and over again about getting a baby bird, but I didn’t expect to receive one as gift. 

I remembered how happy I was to lift the baby quilt up and see my wonderful surprise. I looked again at the covered cage, and the strange feeling returned. It was quiet. Too quiet. Peanut always chirped in the morning when he heard me coming down the stairs. But Peanut hadn’t been himself lately, and I knew he wasn’t as healthy as he once was. I got up and walked toward the cage. “Time to wake up,” I called quietly so he wouldn’t be startled.

I slowly lifted the baby blue quilt over the top of the cage, and placed it gently on the fireplace ledge. I looked at the perch where Peanut loved to sleep, and saw that it was empty. For a moment, I thought that Peanut had decided to go for a little “spin” around the house. We always left the door open so he could travel whenever he felt like it. Sometimes, he liked to find a bathroom mirror and hang out, looking at himself. But deep down, I knew this wasn’t going to be the truth. Peanut never left his cage when the cover was on.

I slid my eyes down from the perch, knowing that I was going to find Peanut lying of the floor of his cage, wishing that he wouldn’t be there. He had been too sick the past few days to do anything but stand shakily on his perch.