4

William watched his daughter disappear into her child's room. He finished his cooking and quickly scrubbed the pans and bowls he had used to create Melinda's favorite treat. It was not often he could coax his grown daughter to indulge in what she considered 'junk food', at least not since he entered her teenage years and became more concerned with her figure than her favorites. Now he knew her choices were more about health and keeping fit to do the job she had chosen, but to him it was still a little too self sacrificing to deny yourself a bit of a traditional sweet treat. He smiled at the crumbs she had dropped on the floor and quickly fetched a broom and dust pan to rid the kitchen of them before Melinda returned.

May stepped into the hallway with Skye close behind. She took a few steps then felt the soft tug that brought her to a halt. The little girl stood in her shadow, pulling back toward the still open door. May smiled.

"It's okay, Skye."

The child shook her head and whispered. "What if he don't like me?" She peeked quickly around May. "What if he's mad cuz you shared his sky with me? Maybe he'll tell ya ta send me back to the sisters." She tugged harder at May's hand with both of hers.

For a moment May considered telling the little girl that was all so silly then leading her to the kitchen, but this was Skye and for this was serious. Instead she dropped to her haunches and wrapped her hands around Skye's, kissing them softly.

"I don't think your grandfather would come all the way across the country just to meet you, if he didn't like you. In fact I know for a fact he already likes you." She smiled at the child.

"But he don't know me," Skye swallowed and shook her head. "He don't know I'm a bad kid. He don't know I don't fit no place."

May was already shaking her head. "You are not a bad kid, just a little girl that makes mistakes just like all the other little girls in this whole world." She kissed the little hands she held then pressed them to her chest. "And you fit right here," she looked around the hallway. Skye's eyes followed. "Right here in this apartment and right in this space in heart that was so empty." May quickly blinked away the tear in her eye. "Yeye is not sharing his sky with you, I am sharing my Skye with him and I will never, EVER send you back."

"Not even if you Bapa tells ya ya gotta." Skye sniffed.

"Not even," May smiled, still hugging Skye's hands against her heart. "You're mine forever, cross my heart." She let go with one hand and made a quick 'X' over those hands and her heart.

Skye drew a deep breath and peeked around May again, hoping to get a glimpse of the man in the kitchen. She looked back at May, bit her bottom lip and nodded. "Okay, I'm ready."

May smiled as she stood and led the little girl down the hallway.

xx

William sat at the table with his eye glasses perched on the end of his nose. He had the newspaper propped in front of him but was more interested in the conversation he could hear in the hall. He pretended not to see his daughter enter the room. She cleared her throat and gave him a quick wink when he cast her a sideways glance.

"Baba," May started as she gently guided Skye to stand in front of her. "This is Skye." She laid her hands softly on the little girl's shoulders. Skye leaned back against her midsection.

William peered over his glasses as he set the paper down. He slipped them off and turned on his chair offering a welcome smile.

"Skye," Melinda leaned forward and looked at the child. "This is your grandfather, my Baba."

The little girl took a deep breath and a step forward. "Very pleased to meet you, sir," she spoke in soft voice. It was apparent it was a practiced response, more than likely enforced by the Sisters of St. Agnes. May was sure the child had been forced to greet every prospective foster parent in the same manner.

William smiled and slapped his hands softly on his knees. "It is fine to see you have such splendid manners, little one, but there is no need to be so formal." He raised a hand and motioned for her to come forward. "Come, let me see my beautiful sūnnǚ."

Skye looked up and back at May who smiled, nodded and urged her forward. Taking small steps she approached the strange man, stopping in front of him but casting her eyes to the pink kitty cat slippers on her feet.

William pushed his glasses up on his nose and peered down at the little girl who refused to meet his gaze. "Hmmm," he hummed softly. "When Mellie told me I was to meet my granddaughter I expected to find someone just this size." He held out his hand, palm down even with the top of Skye's head.

"You are exactly the right size!" He smiled at Melinda as Skye peeked sideways at his hand. "I expected a little girl with hair as dark as ebony and eyes like toasted almonds." Again he smiled at Melinda as Skye shuffled from foot to foot.

"I see the dark silk hair on this little head but only wish to look into my granddaughter's beautiful eyes." He waited a few seconds, watching as the little girl before him wrestled with her emotions. May took a step toward them but he stopped her with a subtle shake of his head.

"I ain't so beautiful." Skye mumbled with a shrug, picking at the hem of her pajama top with both hands.

"Mellie," William breathed as if he were shocked. "Have you no mirrors in this home? No place for this little one to look and see her beauty?" He did not really expect an answer. Melinda smiled at his ploy to gain Skye's attention and perhaps a bit of trust. "Or perhaps you have not told this small one just what the name you have given her means in the language of her ancestors."

Skye shook her head. "I don't got no sisters, only them at S'agnes."

"Ahh, my lovely xiǎo hái'ér you are part of a very long line of proud Mandarin people. Someday you and I will have time to talk about all of them and how important you are, not just to me or to my daughter, but to the world as a whole." William tapped the tip of his finger lightly on Skye's chest. "Until that day and so that you know just how beautiful and important you are to me…to us," he nodded toward Melinda. "I have this for you." He put two fingers into his shirt pocket and withdrew a small red envelope and held it out to her.

Skye hesitated, unsure of what she should do.

"It's okay, Skye." May whispered as she placed her hands on the little girl's shoulders.

Slowly the child took the small envelope from William and held it for a moment before lifting the lip and peering inside. She swallowed once and looked back at May blinking her slight confusion.

William chuckled and gently reached for the object. "Let me show you," he smiled as he inverted the envelope and dumped a fine gold chain into his palm then drew it up between two fingers allowing the small jade figure to dangle from it.

Skye's eyes went to the object, mesmerized by the tiny but perfectly formed green monkey. She reached up and careful put her hand beneath it. William allowed it to drop and watched as Skye held it gently in her palm. "It's a little monkey." She smiled up at it. "It's cold." She remarked as she closed her hand around it.

"A characteristic of jade," William informed her. "This monkey is very special and made just for you." He took the chain in his fingers again and unclasped the lock then leaned forward and placed it around Skye's neck. It hung on her chest and she pulled her chin back to admire it the smiled up at the man.

"This is the water monkey. She belongs to those who are vigorous since water is the source of all things. She is inexhaustible and intelligent just as the one who wears his image." He leaned close and pretended to whisper so Melinda did not hear. "And this little monkey likes to play tricks so she must learn to listen and follow her mama's direction."

"Is it mine, fer real? Fer keeps?" Skye spoke to the tiny monkey at the end of the necklace.

"It is my gift to you, my first gift to you as my precious xiǎo hóuzi." William smiled.

Skye smiled. "Saw hosey," she tried repeating the words. "That mean granddaughter?" She looked up at William for the first time.

He smiled back. "There are those beautiful eyes!" He exclaimed, slapping his palms on his knees. "Just as I imagined," he grinned as she smiled at him.

"It means little monkey and I think you need to say something. Don't you?" May urged.

Skye nodded at May then turned back to William. "Thank you, yay yeah." She paused for a moment then quickly added. "May says I should call ya that cuz it ain't grandpa in ayshin but I ain't all ayshin cuz maybe my dad was a not ayshin guy."

William smiled at the little girl. "You are Asian enough for me and definitely a xiǎo hóuzi." He opened his arms and with a tiny nudge from May, Skye returned the embrace. He pulled her on to his lap and turned to the table, pulling the small bowl of white cream to her. "Now you taste my specialty and tell me if Carl's makes such a delicacy." He reached forward and took one of the crullers, breaking it in half to share it with her.

Skye took it and followed William's example, dipping the donut into the cream then taking a rather large bite. She chewed slowly before her eyes widened and she swallowed a second before repeating the action. The second bite caused her cheeks to bulge.

"Easy does it, kid." Melinda warned as she sat and dipped her own cruller into the cream.

"Carl's don't got nuttin like this," Skye spoke around another mouthful, earning a stern look from May. She quickly sipped her still warm tea and swallowed then wiped her mouth with a napkin and tried again.

"Even them big pancakes don't taste like this, Yeye. Do ya make 'em every day?" She turned and spoke to the man.

"Hardly," May responded before her father could promise that he would.

William did not miss the glare his daughter cast toward him. "This is a special breakfast for a special occasion, but I do believe I can make healthy breakfast just as easily." He chuckled.

The rap at the door caused all three to turn in that direction. May glanced at the clock. It was barely eight. She pushed herself from the table and ordered Skye to stay where she was, knowing her father would do the same. One peek through the small hole in the door relieved her anxious feeling as the young man from maintenance stood holding the large tree that had spent the night tied to the roof of her car. She opened the door revealing four other young men holding boxes and bags with even more lined up along the wall of the hallway.

"Mornin' Ms May," the young man grinned. "Boss said you wanted an early start. This convenient for you?"

May stepped aside and waved an arm toward the living room.

Again the young man smiled. "Just show us where you want it and we'll get right on it."

xx

Skye stood back and stared at the giant tree in awe. May was impressed. It looked better than she imagined standing in the corner of the spacious living room and the green brought new life to the overwhelmingly white room. Yep, right after the holidays this room was getting a full make over. She'd already removed a lot of the items Skye felt were too 'breaky', wrapping them carefully in tissue and storing them in the large empty room on the second floor. The only thing she kept in place was the large red and black dragon that stretched from one end of the soft table and fascinated Skye every time she glanced at it. The child asked endless questions about the object to the point that May actually started making up stories about it. She'd never paid much attention to dragon lore. Maybe she should have. The little girl named the silly thing Sparks and enjoyed adding her own spin on the stories May told. Yep, the room needed an overhaul but Sparks would stay.

"I think it's the wrong one." Skye whispered to no one as she continued staring at the massive tree. "It's way bigger."

May snorted a little laugh as she placed a hand on the little girl's shoulder. "It just looks bigger inside, kid."

William had squatted down to Skye's level and stared up at the tree as well. From that vantage point the tree did look as if it were monstrous. "It is a matter of perception, little one. In nature this tree is surrounded by the world but here it is confined within these four walls."

Skye looked around the room and then back at the tree. "And the ceiling," she added.

"And the ceiling," William smiled in agreement as he stood and massaged his knees.

May frowned at the rosy cheeks on her child and moved to place a hand on her forehead. Skye slipped away quickly, causing May to sigh in frustration. The little girl moved to the stack of suitcase sized boxes behind the sofa. She peered at the Chinese figures drawn on each and gently tapped on the top of the nearest box. "I ain't never gonna read these letters." She sighed.

William stood behind the small girl and chuckled softly. "Then I shall translate," he smiled and tapped the same box then ran his finger below the unfamiliar writing. "This one says, 'Mellie's favorites'." He loosely translated.

"Mellie?" Skye scrunched up her face as she turned toward her newly adopted grandfather.

William smiled and nodded toward May. "Mellie is my little girl."

Skye put both hands over her mouth to hide her giggle.

"Was," May scoffed.

William waggled his brows at the little girl causing her to giggle even harder. He nodded and cocked his head toward May.

"Okay, you two, enough, we have a lot of work to do…but, Ted said we'd need to give our tree a big drink then let it settle for about an hour before putting even one little decoration on it."

Skye slumped with disappointment. William let out a sigh, or the adult version of his own disappointment then smiled and grabbed the top box of treasures and headed for the center of the room. "Then we will have plenty of time to explore all of the memories I have brought to share."

Skye hurried to join him, sliding to her knees next to the box filled with excitement and anxious for him to lift the lid. She sat back on her feet and rubbed her hands on her thighs, smiling up at her grandfather. "Are ya gonna look too, Mellie?" She sniggered, looking up at May.

Melinda shook her head, smiled and dropped to her knees on the opposite side of the box. "That's May to you, kid." She warned. A flash of fear crossed Skye's face as she gave a quick nod.

William sat on the sofa with the box at his feet and glanced from his daughter to his granddaughter then back. "Tell me xiǎo hóuzi, why do you call my daughter May."

Skye squirmed a little and scooted closer to the box, tracing one of the large black characters with her finger tip. "Cuz she is," she shrugged, then looked up at William. "She's my May, like I'm her Skye. She's my May for always." She shook her head and continued. "I ain't never gotta go away cuz May says I get to stay forever and never EVER go back."

Melinda smiled at her father. She'd never insisted the little girl call her mom or mommy or anything. If Skye wanted to call her May, well she was fine with that. It worked for her. Maybe the kid just couldn't come to call anyone by that name. Maybe it brought back things the kid just didn't want to face just yet. But, they had their whole lives to wade through that mess and when Skye was ready to talk, May would be ready to listen and do whatever had to be done to help her kid through it. Fact was she wasn't even sure if she felt like a mom yet, or if she thought of this little imp as a daughter.

There was something, a bond…a connection that she couldn't describe. It came with the stab in heart when Skye woke from a nightmare and clung to her as if she'd never let go. It was there when the little girl's laughter tickled her soul until she had to laugh along even when she wasn't sure what was so funny. It was then when she ached when she held the child until her sobbing stopped and her tears were dry. And it was there when she slept on the couch because her kid's fever was still one hundred three and she needed to be close, just in case. But it was also there when she sat at the side of the tub every night and listened to Skye babble on about anything and everything. She felt it when the little girl snuggled close as they shared a bowl of popcorn and watched The Wizard of Oz over and over. It almost cut her off when she scolded the child for some infraction and the look of contrition melted her resolve. It overwhelmed her when those little arms wrapped around her neck and then those little lips softly kissed her goodnight. And when she read the same story every night then peeked over the top of the book to see those soft lashes against her kid's cheeks and the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she hugged Willie close, it caught in her throat and almost took her breath away.

Maybe that's what being a mother meant…even if you didn't spend nine months in anticipation and hours in labor. Maybe that kind of bond didn't just grow inside…maybe it was that pull on her heart everything that little girl shuffled into the kitchen each morning. Maybe it was that feeling that nothing she had ever done felt so right.

"She's gonna be my real for honest to God mom forever and ever, but I like her to be my May." Skye smiled as William nodded his understanding.

William felt the overwhelming warmth of the relationship his daughter and her little girl shared. He smiled at both and lifted the top of the box.