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Chapter 2

Sunlight danced across Melinda's face causing a warm glow upon her cheek. She smiled glad to be in her bed and at home. Well, that smile didn't last very long until she realized that she has to deal with Melanie or whatever her name is.

The grand piano sitting in her room beckoned her to run her fingers over them for awhile before walking downstairs. Melinda opened her bedroom door so that the maids could come in and make the bed. It was a chance to play her parents a beautiful musical piece too.

The keys on her finger tips were could to the touch and Melinda played a few notes just to get started. She started to play a little selection from Chopin. Her fingers glided on the keys smoothly creating the must compelling music you can ever listen to.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Piper and Leo was taken by the music created by Melinda. "Our little girl's back," Leo said. He couldn't be any happier to have her home.

Awaken by the sound of the piano playing, Melanie tiptoed over to Melinda's bedroom quietly and peeked in. There in the corner of the room was supposedly her sister, playing the piano. Melanie was impressed.

Melinda had a feeling that someone was looking at her and she stopped in the middle of her piece to see if anyone was there. Her eyes wondered around for awhile until it landed on Melanie's own pair of blue eyes.

There they stared hard at each other for awhile without saying a word to each other.

"I think we got off the wrong foot," Melanie started only to get cut off by Melinda. "I think not. Could you close the door on your way out?," Melinda asked. Melanie hesitated but thought that she shouldn't say anything else. There was no way Melinda was ever going to accept her as a sister.

Awhile later Melinda walked downstairs for breakfast. Well, it didn't surprise her that Melanie was in there already. She was talking to Leo and laughing.

When Melinda entered the kitchen, it suddenly grew silent and the air grew cold. Everyone stopped talking. Melinda stopped dead in her tracks, not sure if she wants to be in the same room as Melanie ever again.

"Good morning, sweetie," Piper greeted her daughter with a kiss on the cheek. "morning," Melinda almost mumbled. "What would you like for breakfast?," Piper asked. Melinda answered, "That's okay. I'll make it myself."

Piper watched as Melinda went to put pop tarts in the toaster, and poured some milk.

"Mom? I'm going shopping with Laura today. Is that okay?," Melinda asked sitting down at the table next to her daddy. She leaned over to see what he was doing while waiting for an answer from Piper.

"Oh, Melinda. I know you asked a week in advance, but..." Melinda looked up and said, "But you don't want me to go. Why?" Piper answered, "Well, because I'd like you to stay home and hang out with your sister." Melinda corrected, "You mean Melanie." Piper nodded.

Leo finally noticed the silence between everyone and looked up to see what was going on.

"Mom, I told Laura I would go with her. You said I could. I don't see why I have to cancel plans because of...," Melinda said not wanting to finish her sentence. "Well, call Laura and tell her you can't come because your spending the day with your sister. I'm sure she'll understand," Piper insisted. Melinda shouted grabbing the phone, "She's not my sister! She'll never be my sister! I had a sister!"

Leo stood up and said, "I'll get her." Piper looked over at Melanie and pulled her into a hug.

"Yeah, I don't see what's the big deal about her that makes me have to cancel plans," Melinda said into the telephone. She looks up to see her father standing there waiting for her to hang up. Melinda quickly said, "I have to go." She placed the phone down and sat back against the couch.

Leo stares at his daughter, totally taken by the way she reacted to this whole situation.

"Don't you think that was kind of harsh what you said in there? Now, I know this is hard for you to accept, but weather you like it or not. That girl is going to be your sister, your friend. Whatever you want to call her. She belongs in this family," Leo explained. Melinda said, "She does not. I don't see why you had to adopt someone anyways."

Leo asked, "She was half dead when we found her, Melinda. Your not a kid anymore, I think you can understand that." Melinda grew silent and then asked, "What do you mean half dead?" Leo answered sitting down, "Her family left her on the streets to starve. Your mother was doing some errands and ran into her one day on the streets of course. Look, it's a story that your too young for." Melinda protested, "but you just said that I'm old enough to understand so go on. Tell me."

Melinda braced herself for a story about Melanie and how she became to be in their family.

"Well, as I was saying. Melanie never had the luxury you were born into. Melanie was born in poverty. Her family was out on the streets all the time. No job, no other relatives to take them in. Your mother was running a few errands as I said before..."

"But mom never runs errands," Melinda said cutting him off. Leo replied, "Yeah, but it was magical errands," Leo explained. Melinda nodded and urged him to go on.

"Okay, so your mother passes an ally and hears all this commotion going on. Now you know your mother. She's always curious about something. She goes and checks it out. I shouldn't be telling you this," Leo said. Melinda smiles and said, "no, no, go on."

"As it turns out, Melanie was fighting over the food that she worked so hard to get," Leo explained as the look on Melinda's face changed. "Where was her family? Her mom?," Melinda asked. "They left her, Melinda. In the worst condition ever. So, the man that was trying to take the food from her took off. Your mom took her to a nearby hospital and that's when everything started to unfold within less then a week."

Melinda bit her bottom lip and twirled her thumbs. "Look, dad. You know I don't mean the things I say. It's just so hard to get used to the idea that Melanie will be in our family. It just hurts me that you and mom never said anything about her to me."

Leo looked at his daughter and explained, "We thought it would have been a welcome home present. We know that it was hard losing your sister at such a young age, but don't you think it was all meant to be that way?"

Little Melinda grew tearful at the mention of her twin sister she once had, but lost at the age of 8. Her twin Melody, was fighting against a tumor in her brain. It was horrible. Melinda stilled remember the day she held her sister's hand as she took her last breathe.

"I'll try to get to know her, but that doesn't mean she'll be my sister," Melinda said standing up and leaving the room.

Leo sighed and sat down on the couch as Piper came in sitting down next to him.

"How did that go?," Piper asked. Leo replied, "As good as it could get. After all these years, she's still pretty upset about Melody." Piper said, "Oh, god. Melody. I miss her so much. Our little girl." Leo said, "I told her the story about Melanie. She's say that she'll try to get to know her, but then again she can never accept Melanie as a sister."

Piper said, "I'm worried about Melinda. It was a pretty dramatic event she went through with Melody. She was only 8 when she saw her sister take her last breath. It was probably a piece of her that dead too. Honey? You'll think she'll be okay?"

Leo hugged his wife close and murmured uncertainly, "Yeah, she'll be fine. Everything will be fine."

TBC