Robin Maxwell sat in the living room of her Aunt Rebecca's home on the outskirts of Chicago. She stared moodily out the window without caring what was there.
She felt so ashamed of herself. , Leaving Los Angelos had seemed like the thing to do at the time, but once she had arrived and gotten settled in, Robin could not stop her thoughts turning back to the place where she had been born. The place where both her parents had died. And, most of all, back to the place where her young daughter still lived…and in constant danger.
You abandoned Elizabeth, Robin Maxwell! The thought would not leave her head. You abandoned her! You fought so hard just to get back to her all those weeks, and then you just up and left her when things got rough. How could you!
\It was true that Robin's daughter was no ordinary person. Her little girl was the Starchild, Elizabeth Maxwell, the first human/visitor hybrid. Though barely over two years of age, Elizabeth now looked the same age as her Mother. She could start and stop engines with the power of her mind. She could track people with just her feelings about them to guide her. She could communicate with just about any animal, no matter how wild. And, she had saved planet Earth before she was even six months old!
Robin felt the maternal pride swelling inside her each time she thought of all that her baby had done. Along with that pride, however, came an ever-deepening shame.
Elizabeth is an incredible person. It is in spite of you Robin Maxwell, not because of you! She's done more in her short life than you ever wanted to do.
"Robin? Hey, Robin!"
Robin gave a start. Her sister Polly was standing right in front of her, her hands on her hips, looking exasperated.
"What's wrong with you? I've been talking to you and you didn't even notice!" Polly demanded.
"I'm sorry, Poll," Robin apologized as she looked at her sister. "What is it?"
"Aunt Becky wants you in the back yard," Polly told her.
The younger girl looked at her big sister for a long moment, and then she added softly,
"Thinking about Elizabeth again?"
Tears sprang in to Robin's eyes, and Polly looked stricken.
"I'm sorry," she said quickly. She put an arm around Robin's shoulders. "Maybe I shouldn't have said anything."
"No, it's okay, Poll," Robin sniffed. She gave her sister a quick hug. "You're right. I can't stop thinking about Elizabeth."
Robin stood up, and looked her younger sister straight in the eyes.
"Don't say anything to Aunt Becky or Katie yet, but…I think I have to go back."
"What! You mean, back to L.A.?" Polly cried. Now it was her turn to look stricken. "Robin, you can't go back there! You said if you went back there, Diana would—"
"Oh, I know what I said, Polly," Robin interrupted, putting her hands on Polly's shoulders. "I know you don't understand. You're not a Mother."
"I knew it was 'her' fault," Polly interrupted bitterly. "You're thinking of going back because of 'her'!"
"That's not fair! And, her name is Elizabeth. She's your niece!" Robin shot back.
"And she's more important to you then Katie and me? She's more important to everyone than us."
Polly's eyes glistened with angry tears.
Robin was not used to her sister Polly being so tearful. That had always been her, Robin's, own niche in the family. Polly was always the tough one, the fighter. Secretly, Robin had always admired that trait in her.
Robin opened her mouth, but never got the chance to speak.
Well, go on back, then!" Polly snapped. "You Just go back there and maybe you can get knocked up again and bring another one like her in to our family."
Robin gasped, and raised her hand as if to slap her sister across the face. It was done before she could stop herself.
Both girls froze. After an eternity that only lasted a second, Robin lowered her hand to her side.
"Oh, God, Polly! I'm sorry," Robin gasped. She tried to move closer to her sister, but Polly glared at her so fiercely it froze her in place. The younger girl clenched her fists, and for a second, robin was sure Polly was going to hit her.
Well, let her. I owe it to her.
Robin wished her first instinct had been right, but instead, Polly just turned away and fled to her room, slamming the door behind her. From behind the door, Robin could hear her sister sobbing bitterly.
Was this how Daddy felt when we sent Polly and Katie to live here? Robin thought. She remembered how hard that had been for her to send her two younger sisters away. She remembered that even Elizabeth remarked in her quiet way that if anyone went, it should be her and not them, and then she had asked who would take her when it was her turn to go.
"But, honey, you're not going anywhere," Robin had assured her.
"Why do Katie and Polly have to go, then? If Chicago is so safe, why can't we all go?"Elizabeth had asked. A question that Robin had been unable to answer around the lump in her throat.
Feeling even more miserable, Robin swallowed down her own bitter tears and wondered out in to the back yard to see what her Aunt wanted. But, her mind was made up. She prayed Polly would understand, someday.