The early morning hours suddenly turned into a crash course flying school. Jane taught Ty how to lift his body off the ground and soar. She taught him to turn and twist in the air, change direction, fly into the wind. She taught him how to land, followed by a brief explanation of his aerodynamic body. This was confined to the back yard of Ty's home. Familiar ground for him to get comfortable. But now, he was ready.
"All right, rookie!" Jane said in a mock instructor's tone. "I think you've passed the basics. Are you ready for some real flying?"
"I am!" Ty announced, practically trembling with anticipation.
"All right. Then we're going to go for it. I told you we were going to stick in your yard and not go above the roof. Well, that order is hereby withdrawn."
"Wow. Okay." Ty steeled his nerve. "So this is it?"
"This is it. Follow my lead, buddy, and try to keep up. Okay?"
"Okay." Ty nodded, his nerve falling into his toes.
"Nice and easy to start. We're going to rise up to about 50 feet so you can get used to being up a little higher."
Taking off proved as easy for Ty as breathing. In seconds he and Jane were aloft and cruising above the yard. Ty stared at her with admiration... she had been the greatest teacher he had ever had. So patient, so kind. His heart pounded with excitement as they rose above the yard, circled above the roof, and then beyond.
"You okay back there?" June called behind her.
"Great!" Ty stared down, watching as the world shrank beneath them as they rose higher. The feeling was unlike anything he had ever experienced.
"All right! Hang tight, we'll start soaring, so don't flap as much. Just easy corrections, remember?"
"I remember!" Ty called back.
"We're off, then!" Jane announced, and lead Ty well above the houses of suburbia and into the air. From their vantage point they saw the entire block, soaring over head in graceful arcs.
Jane drew closer and floated beside Ty. "So? What do you think up here?"
"This is... it's... beyond words." He stammered. The clean breeze in comparison to the growing summer heat below was wonderful and refreshing.
"You can see everything from the sky." She said thoughtfully. "It still gives me chills, you know."
"What?" Ty cocked his head, seeing Jane's appreciative expression.
She lowered her voice seductively, almost... romantically. "I didn't appreciate this before you changed me."
"Really?" Ty gaped.
"It was just... it was different before." She sighed happily. Again, if hearts could have floated around her love stricken head, they would have. But Ty was too busy enjoying the new sensations and sights to catch on to the fact she was swooning for him. "Thank you, my friend." My love, she wanted to say.
"Thanks for coming back for me. For getting us here." He replied, perhaps not so blind after all.
They soared higher, farther, and she began to teach him complicated aerial maneuvering. By the time noon arrived, they were both exhausted from a lack of sleep, and decided to set down somewhere to rest.
And so, the two blue jays landed on top of the old church. A beautiful building styled like an old castle. And on the ledge of a pane glass window they stopped next to each other, landing in perfect form together.
"Ah! There!" Jane stretched her wings. "This is cozy enough."
"Yeah!" Ty yawned, still retaining his human habits. "It is."
"Hey..." She leaned in close to him. "Do you mind if I hold myself against you? I want to be close."
The request took Ty by surprise, but he welcomed it. "Of course." There was a pause, as the two birds curled up close together and wrapped themselves in each other's wings. It felt great. It felt natural.
"Hey, Jane?" Ty whispered.
"Yes?" She stared up at him.
"I love you too." He said simply.
She beamed with joy and nuzzled herself into his side. They said nothing more, basking in the purity of new and wonderful feelings for each other, and together the two birds fell into a wonderful deep sleep, undisturbed by the world around them.