Skye sat down in the little lobby area just outside the orphanage offices. She put her juice box, and other food down on the coffee table in front of the sofa she sat on. Melinda sat down next to her.

"So then Skye. You okay? Phil and I need to go talk to Sister Beatrice."

Skye nodded and finished chewing her cracker. "Yes thank you." She looked into Melinda's eyes and felt a warmth spreading in her chest.

Phil walked over closer to her. " By the way, I'm Phil. I'm married to her. Obviously she's the better half."

Melinda swiped at his arm and glared at him. "Don't start Phil." She warned. Skye looked at them and grinned. She liked their banter. She could tell they were teasing each other and not being mean like some of her fosters were to each other. And to her.

Phil struck out his hand. Skye took it and they shook. Unfortunately Skye had cracker crumbs all over her hand and they transferred to his. Phil looked at his hand, and shrieked. Then he licked the crumbs off. Skye giggled. Then she started in on a full blown laugh as Melinda just shook her head at him.

"Skye he is not that funny. Don't encourage him please." Phil gasped and grabbed his heart. "Oh Lin that hurts. You're so mean." His theatrics had Skye nearly falling off the sofa laughing.

Both Phil and Melinda were smiling. Skye looked so happy. Compared to the moment Melinda had first seen her, this was much better. One of the office doors flew open and Melinda turned to watch the two girls that had bullied Skye walk out. They stopped and looked at Skye. Skye had stopped laughing and was now clenching her fist and watching the two girls. Rhonda took a step toward Skye, but Angie grabbed her arm. Melinda got up and stood in front of Skye and stared at the two girls. They turned and fled the building. Phil watched Skye as she clenched and unclenched her fist, watching the girls through the window. Her entire demeanor changed and she looked sad and worried.

Melinda turned back around and knelt by Skye. She took her hand. Skye looked at her.

"You are gonna be alright Skye. I'm sure the sister told them to stop picking on you. I'm sure they got punished." Skye didn't believe her but shook her head in agreement. Adults didn't know how things worked at St. Agnes. She knew. She'd always known life wasn't fair and there were no happy endings. Not for her. No one wanted a damaged, needy child. No one wanted her. She always had trouble following her. Like a magnet.

"So why don't you wait here and Phil and I will have our meeting. Okay?"

Skye nodded.

"Good. We'll see you after then." Melinda smiled at her, and then Skye watched as both she and Phil walked into Sister Beatrice's office. Phil turned around and waved at her and blew her a kiss before he shut the door. She grinned back at him. Slowly her smile faded. She would have to go to her room soon. She would still be here and Melinda and Phil would go home.

She figured maybe they just wanted to say good-bye before they left. Skye took a bite out of her apple. Nope, she would not think that. It would hurt too much when it didn't happen. Still her mind wondered about it. What if Melinda and Phil wanted her to go home with them? They must be here to pick out a kid. Melinda had been so kind to her. And Phil was so funny and he looked like he wouldn't hit her when she messed up. She knew Melinda was Asian. Like her. Well half like her. Melinda was so nice. And so pretty. Like how Skye pictured her mom in her dreams. She wished her stupid real parents would have at least told the dumb orphanage what she was. She wanted to know where she came from. Mostly she wanted to know why they left her. Why they didn't want her. Why she was so bad that her own parents dropped her at an orphanage without even a name.

Skye pushed the rest of the food away from her. She wasn't hungry anymore. She probably should just leave. Melinda and Phil must have found a better kid by now. She knew they went through files. She knew the nuns always gave the files of the best kids to the people that came to foster. She knew hers was never gonna be one of the best files. Hers said stuff like anger issues, discipline problem, troublemaker, not a good fit, not friendly, too quiet, that she fights, and steals and talks back. Those are the things the fosters always told the nuns when they brought her back. Most of them weren't true. She never stole anything, and she only defended herself when the other kids hit her. Most times she was glad to get sent back. A lot of the fosters were mean. She considered herself lucky when they just ignored her and wanted the paycheck. At least at those homes she did not have to be afraid all the time. She was afraid here too.

Skye grabbed one of the magazines on the coffee table. She started thumbing through it looking at the pictures. Skye didn't read very well. She didn't even read well for a second grader. She sighed. She didn't do much of anything well. Why would people like Melinda and Phil want a loser like her?

She leaned back into the sofa cushions. She felt herself drifting of to sleep. She guessed getting up at six and being thrown out of your current home with no warning could tire one out.

Melinda opened the door and walked out of the room. She needed some distance. The nun was being an asshole. Okay she probably shouldn't call nuns names in her mind. Not good karma or something. Hey at least she didn't call it to her face. She stayed in control. Well mostly. Melinda was angry. She was angry at how Sister Beatrice had tried to talk them out of fostering Skye. She was also angry after reading Skye's file. No, she was not angry, she was furious. Once the sister figured out they were adamant about their foster child being Skye they had read her file. Melinda was sick. How could this little girl have been so neglected and ignored for so long. She had told Phil to start the paperwork and gotten up to get some fresh air.

She closed the door and looked over to Skye. She smiled. Skye was hunched over sideways leaning into the back of the sofa clutching a magazine. Her mouth was part way opened and she was sound asleep. She looked adorable. Melinda made her way over and sat on the coffee table in front of Skye. She noticed that Skye's food was not finished and pushed aside. A few stray hairs were falling in the little girls' eyes. Melina lightly brushed them back and tucked them behind her ear. She stared at the little girl she wanted to bring home with them.

Taking everything about Skye in, Melinda noticed her too big clothing, and sneakers with holes. Her unkempt hair in need of a trim. Melinda knew Skye was eight years old. She had turned eight a few months ago. She was small and actually looked to be about six. She was skinny, too skinny for Melinda's liking. But she was a beautiful little girl. Half -Asian most likely, but of unknown origin is what was in her file. Dropped off at St. Agnes with nothing. No note, no name, absolutely nothing. The file said she was in a bassinette dressed in a pink onesie with a white baby blanket.

They gave her the name Mary Sue Poots. Melinda scoffed. No wonder Skye changed it. She would have too. Besides, Skye was a beautiful name that fit her little girl. Melinda smiled. This little angel was her little girl. She had already wormed her way around Melinda's heart. She had already become part of Melinda's family. And Melinda would make sure that her little girl would be safe and happy and no one would even hurt her again. If they did they would have to answer to Melinda May.