Finch.

I am driving for days and days and still nothing. It’s all very black.
Day and night is all the same, with one hand on the steering wheel and the other clasped between Birdie's. She often puts her head on my shoulder. We only stop when absolutely necessary. We could be Bonnie and Clyde, or something really crazy like that.
After awhile we are in Piedras Negras, this little run down city right on the border.
I’ve made it, I guess.
And there’s this little house, and it’s brick with a dirt road, and somehow it’s beautiful.
I pull up next to it, and there are children watching me from other houses on the street, trying to see what in the world such fair skinned people are doing here. We are so out of place, and yet this place is beautiful.
I knock on the door, fingers still tangled in Eleanor’s.
“Quién eres?” The little boy asks me. His brown eyes are wide and warm, I love him.
“Nick. Puedo hablar con tu madre?” Can I talk to your mother. I need to talk to your mother.
“Si.” Then he is running off in the house screaming mama. I see a girl as well, she waves at me, a toothy smile lighting up her lips and I can’t help but love her as well.
I could cry. There’s Maria. I feel Birdie’s hand squeeze mine and she smiles up at me.
Time has stopped for Maria and I though. We smile very simply and we’re both so tired. Birdie releases my hand and goes back to the van for the time being.
“Nicholas,” Maria breathes, then takes me in her arms. One hand is on the back of my head, the other wrapped around my torso, and I hold her too, trying to keep myself together.
She then takes my hand and we walk to the back of the house.
“So you made it. You can stay with me,” she says. I notice the rosary on her neck and smile. She hasn’t changed. I touch the necklace, then her neck, but I don’t kiss her.
“Those are your children, inside?”
“Yes. My husband is at work, he won’t be back for months.”
Husband. The words are bitter to me, and I hate it but it isn’t as if I could expect anything less.
“He ido a por ti,” I whisper.
“You did come back for me, I know.” She does what I have wanted to do since the moment I saw her. She kisses me very much, and even though it is probably wrong, we stay that way for awhile. I couldn’t imagine anything different though. I have missed her so much.
She pulls away from me.
“We both know you’ll be fine. You have her.” She doesn’t have to say who ‘her’ is. We both know it’s the yellow haired finch in the van. “We both know who you need more.”
I look down because it is so true, it’s just hard for me to admit to someone such as Maria.
“I love you.” I say.
“I love you too, if I didn’t, you wouldn’t be here.”

Hours pass and a room has been made for Eleanor and I. It’s small of course, but I don’t care. I said we’d help with everything.
We really did make it.
We lay down to sleep together on a thin mattress and everything is perfect enough, just right now.