Other Birds

After seeing Charlotte and Zoey outside, Mac goes to collect his mail in an effort to eavesdrop. Seeing him, Zoey introduces herself. Mac tells her about his job at a hotel restaurant called Popcorn. As they discuss Zoey’s job cleaning Lizbeth’s apartment, Mac tells her the building is owned by Roscoe Avanger. Avanger’s second book, Dancing with the Dellawisps, is about the building; Frasier illustrated the book and Avanger self-published it. As Mac turns to leave, Zoey remarks that he has cornmeal on his shoulder.

That night, Mac visits his cat, Fig. Fig was a stray Mac rescued from behind his restaurant after she was badly burned by a stray cigarette. He keeps her hidden from the Dellawisp residents because pets aren’t allowed in the building. He hears movement outside, but when he looks out he can’t find anything. Mac has unusual sleeping habits: He never sleeps anywhere but his bedroom and always on fresh sheets, because he wakes up every morning covered in cornmeal. The next morning, he shakes out the sheets and changes them for new ones.