Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports

131

Jeb was already there, at Dr. Martinez's house. I had half expected it.

The flock and I landed in the woods close to the house, and after looking carefully around, we stepped into the yard. Immediately, Magnolia, the basset hound, lumbered out from under the porch, baying. She ran over, saw Total, and started barking harder.

"Oh, please," said Total.

The front door opened, and Ella burst out, her face alight. Then she saw I wasn't alone, and she stopped, staring at the rest of the flock.

"Oh, gosh," she breathed. "All of you..." Her face split into a humongo smile, and she raced to me, catching me in a skinny, wiry hug. "You're my sister!" she cried. "I had wished you could be. Now you are."

She pulled back, and we just smiled at each other. I mean, I felt much closer to Nudge, sisterwise, but knowing that Ella and I shared nonbird blood meant a lot to me. It made me feel more solid, somehow. That sounds stupid, but that's how it felt.

"Max." Dr. Martinez stood on the porch, her hand to her mouth. Jeb came out after her, his face drawn and sad. He looked glad to see us all, though. I remembered how he'd looked when Ari died. I was so confused about him it made my head hurt.

"Hi," I said lamely. Unfortunately, finding out who my parents actually were had not improved my social graces by leaps and bounds. Oh, well.

Dr. Martinez-it felt too weird to call her anything else-came down the steps, and then she was hurrying to me. I stood stiffly for a moment while she wrapped me in a warm, momlike embrace that felt like the best, softest blanket in the whole world.

"Oh, Max," she breathed, stroking my tangled hair. "I couldn't believe it when I saw you before. I wasn't sure. But it was you! It was you all along."

I nodded, slightly horrified to see tears running down her cheeks. "Yep," I said, then cursed myself for being so awkward and tongue-tied. This was my mother! This was who I'd dreamed of my whole life! Not only that, but she was the best mother in the whole world, the one person I would have picked! And I was standing here like a scarecrow.

I cleared my throat, looking down at my feet. "I'm glad it was you," I managed to get out, and then, total nightmare, I started bawling into her sweater.