Love Said, "Hello." Pt. 02

"It must have been important, and I'm guessing, it's in that folder there." I nodded to the folder, for effect.

"I showed this, to your Dad," she smiled. Touching the folder in front of her. "Right after lunch."

"OK." I wanted to see what was in the folder. Really bad. I think she was teasing me again, because she wouldn't open the folder. Still smiling her great smile. A few awkward seconds...

"What I am going to show you, can never be repeated again. Perhaps, for years."

I didn't expect those words. I arched my eyes in surprise.

"OK. A secret, right?"

She leaned across the table, toward me... Her sexy, slitted eyes... "Top secret. Highly classified secret. And, I'll tell you why, after I show you these photos."

After those words, I had a strong feeling, what was in those photos. In a whisper...

"Is it the bird? The one you've been looking for?"

"Yes, Mark. It's the Ivory-billed. In Texas." She was excited, but muted her voice.

"I'll be damned. And everyone told you it wasn't there. How did you know?" I was excited, too.

"I didn't know. I just had a feeling. Baby, it hasn't been seen in Texas in over a hundred years. Unconfirmed sightings, yeah. But confirmed? Not since 1904. I have the photos... More than one photo... For a single individual."

I couldn't breathe, and it wasn't even my project. She was so excited, she choked me with her excitement. I didn't know what to say... except...

"Congratulations? You have me speechless, right now, Pretty Girl."

I stood, grabbed a beer from the refrigerator, poured a glass of wine for Naomi, and sat back down. I smiled to my sexy girlfriend, and I saw... happiness. Excitement.

"You're the fifth person to see these, Mark. Andrew, in Huntsville... me... your father... and then, Professor FitzGibbons. They were taken over five weeks ago, and Andrew just found them. It takes a long time to flip through so many..."

She paused. In mid-sentence. Looked at me. And furled her brow.

"I just realized... just now. How historic this will be. I... dang."

She stood from the table, and nearly tipped her chair onto the floor. She turned and looked into the living room. Then to me... "I'm kinda scared, Mark. What if I can't handle the pressure?"

"Hell, No!" I barked. "Never." I leapt from my chair, and took her into my arms. "Dad would never let that happen to you, Naomi. He's seen this before. With that other woodpecker. Before you, and I, were born. The red cockaded woodpecker. He was the lead forester on that recovery. He'll do anything for you to succeed."

I could see panic in her eyes. "He will?"

"Yes!"

I grabbed my phone.

Five minutes later, my Dad was in my living room, with Naomi. Reassuring her. Telling her, that the University would never let her, do this alone. That he would be reaching out for funding, and he had already spoken to the director at the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology. I recognized that group from the website I visited about the IBW. They lead the search for this bird in Arkansas, back in 2004 and 2005.

Soon, Professor FitzGibbons appeared at my door.

"Good to see you again, Mark. Damned glad to hear you're doing better, after that attack."

He didn't wait for my reply. He sat next to Naomi. Telling her the same. SFA would be with her on this, the entire way. He had already called for a meeting with the Dean.

My Dad... Took my girlfriend's hand into his, and covered it with his other hand...

"Miss Morton... Naomi... I will be with you, every step of the way. It 'will' be a smooth path for you. I promise. Yes. If you want. And, only if you want. It will be hard work for you. And, we can discuss what that may include, later. What we want, is to get our hands wrapped around this, and kept quiet, and it won't happen overnight. You have the State involved now, because it's on their land. The NPS is involved, because The Thicket is just six kilometers away. We don't know how they're going to want to do this. No one knows anything." He paused, and I saw Naomi relax... a tiny bit. "There's no need to rush on this. It will take many people. Many experts, to draft a plan of action to research this bird, and where it lives. You will have a say in this, Naomi. I'll make sure of it."

"Thank you," she replied. She placed her hand over her left breast. "My heart feels like it's going crazy." She looked at me across the room. She smiled, and extended her hand to me. She stood when I took her hand... hugging me close...

"Thank you for calling your Dad." She looked me in the eye... "You always know what to do."

My Dad stood and looked at me. Smiling.

"My retirement just got extended another year, Mark." Then, he put a hand on Naomi's shoulder...

"I have a famous, Ph.D. candidate, to shepherd."

*****

I couldn't believe my eyes.

But, there it was. In color.

It was huge. Almost sinister, inanimate like. An odd looking woodpecker. Huge crest of feathers on its head. Huge beak. I understand why it's called "Ivory-billed." And, intimidating white markings on its wings. Seven photographs taken by the trail camera. This bird was on Naomi's feeder. In different positions, along the feeder, in the photographs.

"It's a female. The male has red on the crest feathers. This one is clearly all black. And, it can't be confused with the Pileated woodpecker. See the gauge I had placed on the feeder? This bird matches historical measurements for its length. No other woodpecker is this large." Her voice is so pretty, now that she's calmed down.

"Amazing," I whispered, and slurred.

I set the photographs down, and smiled to my girlfriend. My Dad...

"Not a word, Mark. If this gets out, every birdwatching nut in the world, will descend upon The Thicket. Destroying the habitat."

"Yes, Sir. I understand."

"Another problem, Naomi. How do you keep this close to the chest with so many parties involved? That's why I called Cornell. They pulled it off in Arkansas." He pulled up a chair, and sat next to me, and Naomi. "You've done something no one has been able to do since the 1930s. Take a photograph of an Ivory-billed." He paused and took her hand. "Maybe not right away, but when the research is complete, and the State is ready to announce, your name is going to be the first mentioned."

She smiled and tentatively nodded.

"I'm with you on this, Naomi. I promised you a rewarding research experience when I recruited you. It's my job for you to feel rewarded. Not intimidated."

"Thank you." I could tell Naomi was relieved by my father's words.

Then...

"What about the photographs?" I asked. Tapping the photos in front of me. "They belong to Naomi, right? It was her money, and the cameras belong to her."

My Dad and Naomi looked at each other. A little confused. My Dad...

"I suppose they do. Why?"

"Maybe I'm wrong here, but she owns the copyright. You said it earlier, Naomi. No one has seen this bird in Texas, since 1904. Dad, you said she has taken photos of the bird. The first since the 1930s. Would these photographs be worth a small fortune, considering the subject, and the rarity of photographing this specific bird? Once the photos are released, Naomi would profit from the reproductions."

Dad turned to Naomi... "Mark's right. You and I are going to the bank tomorrow, with the SD cards, copies of the SD cards, and prints, and placing them into a safe deposit box. Then, you and I, going to see an attorney, so your rights are protected." Dad turned to me. "What is the name of your baseball teammate, who is practicing law here? Dillon? I can't remember his last name."

"Dillon Washburn."

*****

For the next three weeks, Naomi, my father, Professor FitzGibbons, and Andrew Mullican, the masters student working for Naomi, were in closed door meetings in a small conference room on campus. Andrew was exceptionally excited. I overheard him tell Naomi in her home...

"My masters thesis is going to be fucking awesome! Thank you for including me in your research!"

During the meetings... Campus police were guarding the door. With instructions not to let anyone enter, or leave without a special pass, created by my father. Each pass unique and recorded in the police log.

No one knew. Not the campus police chief. The Dean only knew that something big had occurred. Trusting his experienced professors with their word. He didn't even know Naomi was involved.

The President and Board of Regents of the University didn't know.

That is all my Naomi, and my father would offer to share.

"It's too big, Mark, for you to know anything more. Let's just say, there's lots of people who need to be involved, and they're here in Nacogdoches. There will be lots of strange faces, and that, in itself, is a problem. The locals will want to know why."

My Naomi... "We can't refer to it, for what it is. We have a code word for it. Cornell staff gave it to us." My reply...

"Wow. Serious business. What about somewhere else to meet? Say, Tyler. Or Longview. Those towns are big enough you, can blend in. Beaumont, too."

I saw my Dad's eyebrows arch to Naomi. No words were spoken, but I knew those two would take action the next day. If they did go somewhere else, I was certain I wouldn't see my Naomi as much.

After my father left for his home, my Naomi...

"I told myself, I wouldn't ask you this, but things are getting out of hand at my place."

Before I could ask...

"Karen is becoming a little problem." Naomi rolled her eyes and sighed. "She and LaShaun are doing it, nearly every night. And..." She paused, and watched me closely. "He's flirting with me. Trying to get me to come to his place, and party."

I opened my mouth to speak...

"I'm with you, Mark. You know that, right?"

"I do."

She took me into her arms, and looked at me with a serious stare.

"He's doing, what the others did, when I was an undergraduate. Telling me how hot I am, and commenting on my clothes. How sexy I am, and I shouldn't waste my looks."

"OK. Do I need to speak with him?"

"No," she replied, quickly. "I just signed the lease, for another year, but I can't stand to be there, when he's there."

"Come over here. The, I'll escort you home, when he leaves."

"He's there all night. I caught him looking into my bedroom after I got up to pee. He's creepy."

I felt my blood get hot... ... firmly, I said... "You said you didn't want to ask. Ask it now."

"Can I stay in your other bedroom? Until he stops coming over?"

"It sounds like, you should've asked me sooner. I'll help you move your things, and I'm calling my parents, and telling my neighbors what's happened. Let's hope this is only temporary, and you can go back."

A sly smile appeared on her lips.

"There is another alternative. We can get married, and I'll break the lease. I have the money." She snuggled me into her arms, and kissed my lips. A brief peck.

"Sounds romantic," I teased, with an attitude. "I have a better idea. Give me the summer on the marriage thing. For now, you stay in the other bedroom, until Karen tires of... umm... what's his name, again?"

Continued in the next submission...