FULL CIRCLE

Chapter 50

Having reluctantly decided to stick around, Miles found a chair in an out of the way place and sat down. After a few minutes Mikayla caught sight of him and ran over to climb up in his lap. He picked her up an said, "You really shouldn't have done that, Kid. I could have fallen over and hurt you."

She regarded him with her big brown eyes. "You like me?" she asked seriously.

Miles smiled and said, "Yeah, Kid. I like you."

"Good. I like you, Smiles," she replied. Then as if everything was settled, she slid off his lap and went chasing after a little girl in a tie-dyed dress.

"Do you want something to drink?" a voice asked and Miles looked up to see the woman who'd been in the house.

"Not right now," he said politely.

"All right," she said dropping into the empty chair by him. "By the way, I'm Skye Lewis and this is my daughter Chelle. Short for Seychelle."

"I'm Miles," he introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you. How long are you staying here?" Skye asked, making conversation.

"I just came by to give Mikayla a birthday present," Miles replied.

"It's a beautiful day for a party," Skye said and smiled at him. "So, what do you do for a living?"

"I'm a doctor," Miles replied.

"Sounds like a good job. I teach preschool myself."

"I wasn't sure what you wanted to drink so I brought a glass of lemonade over just in case," Rachelle said as she approached her stepson.

"Lemonade is fine. Thank you," Miles said and took the glass.

"I see Skye is keeping you entertained. We're just about ready to eat if you care to join us. Skye makes an absolutely fabulous fruit salad," Rachelle told him.

"From a very special recipe I might add," the younger woman spoke up.

"John said you used to be a vegetarian but he wasn't sure if you still are," Rachelle was saying to Miles.

"I still am."

"We'll eat first and then let Kayla open her presents. If we did it the other way she'd want to play instead of eating. Afterwards there will be cake and pink punch."

"I'll get something to eat in a few minutes," Miles decided.

"I think Kayla has received her best present already," Rachelle said.

"What is it? I didn't think she was getting any until tonight?" Skye asked.

Rachelle laid a hand on Miles' shoulder. "A big brother. She couldn't stop talking about 'Smiles' all evening," she explained laughing at Miles slightly embarrassed expression.

"I was going to give her a present not become her present," he said.

"Well, she obviously thinks you are," Rachelle told him and headed off to help her husband with the food.

Miles waited until everybody else had gotten their plates filled before going to get himself something to eat. Taking his filled plate, he returned to his seat and set his food down on the tray
table.