But it wasn’t a bird feeder. It was a bird BATH, dammit. How many times had Amy told him that, Ralph wondered.
And what was drawing his attention to it now? It was just a concrete statue of a chubby cherub holding a big dish on its head. Same old smirk on its face as when John and Mary first put it in the yard. Ralph remembered asking John when he had gone all roman architecture on him there in the midst of suburbia. John had given him a sheepish grin, shrugged and gestured towards his wife indicating that it wasn’t anything that he would have picked out.
Ralph didn’t quite understand why this piece of concrete had made this impression on him today. It was just a piece of concrete. Hanging out in the same place where it had been put, lord, how many years ago? Had to have been at least 10.
“You going to give me my coffee, or are you waiting for my breakfast order?”
Ralph started at the sound of his wife’s voice. He set her cup down and sat back down in his chair.
“Amy, do you see anything different about that bird bath over there in the Addison’s yard?”
“Are you feeling ok?”, Amy asked as she took a closer look are her husband.
“That is the same ugly piece of lawn art that has been sitting there for years. I still don’t understand why Mary had to have that. It isn’t her style in any way shape or form. And no, I don’t notice anything about it that is different. Ugly is eternal.”
Amy got up and said, “I have to get moving or else I am going to be late. Are you going to be home on time tonight?”
Ralph took one last sip of his coffee, turned to answer his wife and out of the corner of his eye saw movement by the bird bath.
Ralph quickly looked back at the statue, think that a bird or something had landed in the bowl part, but saw nothing.
Other than it looked like one of the cherubs feet had moved forward just a bit.